Exit interviews that tell you the truth
The person leaving is the most honest source of feedback you'll ever get. Don't waste the conversation.
Do it after the last day, not before
A short call a week after they leave, when there's nothing left to lose, gets the real answers. In-the-building exit interviews get safe ones.
Ask three questions, listen
Why did you start looking? What would have kept you? What should we change for whoever takes the role? That's the entire script.
Look for the second instance, not the first
One exit comment is a data point. The same comment from two different people is a pattern. Track them in a simple list across years.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.