Exit interview template

Exit interviews are a really good idea.

They help you to better understand why someone is moving on and to gain feedback on the organisation as a whole. Getting feedback on how things can be improved can be very helpful for retention strategies.

Here’s a helpful template to help you formulate your own exit interview for the next time an employee leaves the business.

You can download the template for free - and keep it handy for when you might need it.

Getting the most from an exit interview

An leaving conversation should ideally take place before the employee has left the business. Who conducts the interview will be dependent on the relationships held, but in many cases it can be useful if this is conducted by a neutral party, such as a member of the HR department.

In order to get the most benefit from the meeting, a formal set of questions should be put together in advance, to ensure that all of the areas get discussed.

Ideally the employee would complete this in advance of the meeting, and this forms the basis of the discussion which can be explored further during the meeting.

How to set exit interview questions

Exit interview questions should be open questions that are carefully considered. They should be the same standard questions that are asked in all exit interviews to ensure they could not be interpreted incorrectly (for example, questions that could potentially be of a discriminatory nature).

It's the role of the person conducting the interview to listen, collect the feedback and remain impartial.

What to avoid asking in an exit interview

Before arranging an exit interview, you should always make the employee aware that they don't have to participate, and the feedback is optional.

It's important to let the employee know how you want to use the information - whether it's for feedback to their line manager or helping to shape/evolve the employee experience within your business.

Most importantly, it’s vital to ensure that you’ve given the employee the option to keep your discussions confidential and not share their personal views further.