The potential benefits of being truthful in a exit interview largely accrue to those still at the company, the risks largely accrue to the person doing the inte

The potential benefits of being truthful in a exit interview largely accrue to those still at the company, the risks largely accrue to the person doing the interview. Combine that with the fact that companies who have significant problems of the sort that make people want to leave rarely deal with them (if they were that sort of company they wouldn't have those issues in the first place), and on balance it simply makes no sense to offer anything other than a somewhat rose tinted version of the truth at most. The world is a smaller place than most people think, people know people, word gets around, unofficial references are taken all the time ("hey, this guy worked at place X, I know someone there, I'll give him a call"). Never unnecessarily upset someone, anyone, without very good reason. And whatever you do, never ever make the mistake of assuming that because you were right, that's how it will be seen (and told) by everyone.