Regretted-Attrition Analysis Survey

An anonymous exit survey targeting high performers and high-potential employees to uncover root causes of regretted departures. Captures engagement drivers, manager effectiveness, growth barriers, and compensation signals by team, manager, and tenure — turning individual exits into systemic retention intelligence.

Departure Context and Decision Trigger

• What was the primary reason you decided to leave?
  Select the single most important factor. You will have a chance to elaborate below.
• Please describe the specific circumstances or moment that triggered your decision to start looking or accept another offer.
  Be as specific as possible — a particular event, conversation, or realization is more useful than a general statement.
• How long before your resignation did you begin seriously considering leaving?
  This helps us understand whether the decision was sudden or a slow-build.
• Did you receive a competing offer that influenced your decision?
  Select one: Yes — it was the primary driver / Yes — it accelerated a decision I'd already made / No — I left without another offer lined up.
• If you received a competing offer, what did it offer that your current role did not?
  Examples: higher base, equity, title, remote flexibility, scope of role, industry change. Leave blank if not applicable.

Performance Recognition and Career Growth

• I felt my performance and contributions were recognized appropriately by my manager and organization.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• If you rated recognition 3 or below, please describe what recognition looked like in practice and what you needed instead.
  Specific examples help us understand the gap between effort and acknowledgment.
• I had a clear and realistic path to advance my career within this organization.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• If you rated career path clarity 3 or below, what specific barriers — structural, managerial, or cultural — blocked your advancement?
  Examples: role freezes, lack of sponsorship, unclear promotion criteria, favoritism.
• I was given stretch assignments, high-visibility projects, or development opportunities commensurate with my potential.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• My compensation (base, bonus, equity) was competitive relative to my market value and level of contribution.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• If you rated compensation 3 or below, please describe the gap you perceived.
  You do not need to share specific numbers. Describing the nature of the gap (e.g., below-market base, no equity refresh, bonus unpredictability) is sufficient.

Manager Effectiveness and Psychological Safety

• My manager actively supported my career development and advocated for my advancement.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• My manager gave me regular, candid, and useful feedback on my performance.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• I felt safe raising concerns, disagreeing with decisions, or flagging problems without fear of retaliation or being sidelined.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree (Psychological safety, per Amy Edmondson's framework)
• If you rated any of the above manager or safety items 3 or below, please describe specific behaviors or situations that shaped your experience.
  Patterns of behavior are more actionable than isolated incidents. Describe what you observed repeatedly.
• Did you ever raise concerns about your experience, career trajectory, or intent to leave with your manager or HR before resigning?
  Select one: Yes, and it led to meaningful change / Yes, but nothing changed / No — I didn't feel it would make a difference / No — I wasn't aware of a channel to do so.
• What would your manager or HR have needed to do differently — and by when — to change your decision?
  This is one of the most important questions in this survey. Please be direct and specific.

Team, Culture, and Organizational Health

• The team I worked on operated with a high level of trust, collaboration, and shared accountability.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• The organization's leadership made decisions in a way that was transparent, fair, and aligned with stated values.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree
• I experienced or witnessed behaviors — such as favoritism, exclusion, or inconsistent standards — that eroded my sense of belonging or fairness.
  Select one: Frequently / Occasionally / Rarely / Never. If Frequently or Occasionally, please elaborate below.
• Please describe any cultural or organizational dynamics that contributed to your decision to leave.
  This may include team dynamics, leadership style, pace of change, bureaucracy, or misalignment between stated and lived values.
• The workload and pace of work at this organization were sustainable over the long term.
  1 = Strongly disagree → 5 = Strongly agree

Retention Signals and Systemic Insight

• On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend this organization as a place to work to a high-performing peer?
  eNPS-style question. 0 = Would actively discourage → 10 = Would strongly recommend.
• What is the primary reason for your score above?
  Per eNPS methodology, the reason behind the score is as important as the score itself.
• If you could change one structural or cultural thing about this organization — something leadership has the power to fix — what would it be?
  Think systemically. What change would have the greatest impact on retaining people like you?
• Would you consider returning to this organization in the future if the issues that drove your departure were addressed?
  Select one: Yes, definitely / Possibly, depending on the role and changes made / Unlikely / No. Boomerang intent is a useful retention-health signal.
• Is there anything else you want HR or senior leadership to know that this survey did not capture?
  This is your space. Anything shared here is read by HR leadership and treated with the same anonymity guarantee as the rest of this survey.

Optional Segmentation (Voluntary)

• How long were you with this organization?
  Tenure segmentation helps identify whether regretted attrition clusters in early, mid, or late tenure. Select one: Less than 1 year / 1–2 years / 3–5 years / 6–10 years / More than 10 years.
• Which broad function or department did you work in?
  Used to identify team- or function-level attrition patterns. Your anonymity is preserved — no response is attributed to an individual.
• What was your approximate seniority level at the time of departure?
  Select one: Individual Contributor / Senior Individual Contributor / Manager / Senior Manager / Director or above.