Exit Interview Template & Form For Conducting Productive Exit Interviews [Free Download]
An exit interview process is not complete without an exit interview template, which will ensure your exit interviews remain consistent and thorough. You can use the feedback to discover areas for improving your organization’s employee experience.
Research published in Harvard Business Review has found that 1 in 4 companies don’t conduct exit interviews. Other organizations do, but they don’t analyze the data they collect or share it with leaders to initiate change. Your employees are your greatest asset, so learning why they leave can provide valuable information on how the organization needs to change, improve engagement and retention rates, and show your employees that their opinions matter.
In this article, we explore what an effective exit interview template looks like and provide you with two downloadable templates that you can start using today.
Contents
What is an exit interview?
Why do you need an employee exit interview template?
Types of exit interview templates
1. Exit interview questions template to download
2. Exit interview form template to download
3. Exit interview email template to copy
How to conduct effective exit interviews
FAQs
What is an exit interview?
An exit interview is an exchange that takes place between an employee who is leaving the business, and their manager or a member of HR. However, it’s recommended that an HR representative conduct exit interviews as they are a neutral third party who is committed to confidentiality.
The exit interview will typically consist of a face-to-face (online) discussion where an HR professional asks the departing employee a series of questions and records their answers. Sometimes, an exit interview will be a survey sent to the employee to fill out in their own time, or a combination of both methods.
An exit interview offers leaving employees a chance to be candid with their reasons for leaving, any issues they may have experienced while working for the company, and suggestions for improvements. They are likely to be more open and forthcoming with their true opinions than an employee who is not leaving the company, which makes it a unique opportunity to identify problem areas.
You can use the information gauged through exit interviews to guide future practices and make improvements. Taking actions such as coaching managers or enhancing the onboarding process can be steps toward increasing employee satisfaction and mitigating turnover rates.
Exit interviews also provide an avenue for individuals to gain closure. They leave their job feeling heard and with the sense of relief that comes from expressing previously unvoiced feelings and concerns.
Departing on a positive note inspires former employees to respect and speak highly of the organization, enhancing your status as an employer. Given that as many as 28% of employees have returned to work for a former employer after leaving (known as boomeranging), ensuring that employees leave on a positive note is crucial, and a thoughtful exit interview can make a big difference.
Why do you need an employee exit interview template?
Following an exit interview template enables you to make the most of the process. The employee’s constructive comments and observations are documented in an orderly fashion, and you can capture and compare information more strategically.
Here’s why an employee exit interview template is essential for the exit interview process:
Covering all relevant topics
Each employee has a unique set of knowledge, insights, and experience to share with the organization. By first establishing what you really need to know, you can then craft an exit interview template that encompasses all of these areas with relevant questions.
For example, if you had problems with internal communication before, you might want to include a couple of questions on this topic in your exit interview.
Maintaining consistency
Following the same employee exit interview template every time sets the standard for your policy and ensures all employees are asked the same set of questions. This denotes impartiality and makes it easier to collate and analyze data over time.
Trends, recurring issues, or areas of improvement become more evident, allowing the organization to make informed decisions based on collected feedback.
Conversations remain productive
An employee exit interview template helps keep both parties on task. Some interviewees will be very talkative and expressive with their feelings, which can sidetrack the dialog from pertinent topics. A template directs the conversation instead of allowing emotional discussions or unrelated tangents to hijack the interview.
Employees are prepared
An exit interview template provides the interviewee with a list of questions in advance of the face-to-face discussion. This means they won’t be caught off guard, have a strong idea of what to expect, and have the opportunity to think about their responses. Preparation produces more insightful feedback than if the employee has to respond off the top of their head.
Time efficiency
A set template of questions to ask in an exit interview helps to streamline the process and make it efficient. The interviewer won’t need to devote time to thinking of questions to ask or structuring the conversation, and the interviewee knows what’s coming. This makes the interview more focused and respects everyone’s time.
Accounting for legal considerations
A structured exit interview template also ensures that the person asking the questions does not accidentally ask something sensitive or illegal. Following a list of predetermined questions reduces the risk of any legal complications that can arise from inappropriate interviewing.
Types of exit interview templates
You can use templates for exit interviews in two different ways. One technique involves asking the questions verbally; the other is a written exit interview form that the employee completes.
You can also combine these two methods – let employees fill out a form and then discuss their responses in an interview.
Any exit interview template should include questions that cover these five categories:
- Reasons for leaving
- Job circumstances
- Company culture
- Work environment
- Technology
You should tailor the exit interview template to your organization’s unique needs, but here are explanations of both methods with sample questions to consider:
1. Exit interview questions template
An exit interview questions template is used by HR during a face-to-face interview with the employee who is leaving. It usually consists of open-ended questions that can prompt a discussion.
Here are some sample questions within each of the five categories that you can add to your template.
A. Questions about the leaving employee and the company
Why did you start looking for a different job?
Everyone has a different reason and unique set of circumstances which lead them to look for a new job. It could be for a promotion, a better salary, a new opportunity or challenge, a shorter commute, or something more personal.
However, over time, you will start to notice themes in your data, whether it’s individuals leaving for better compensation or a lack of promotion opportunities within the company. From here, you can determine how your organization needs to develop as an employer.
How was your relationship with your manager?
There’s a lot of truth to the saying, “People don’t leave their job; they leave their manager.” While in employment, employees may struggle to speak openly and honestly about concerns they have with their managers. However, in an exit interview, individuals feel more able to speak freely, which can shed light on any issues with specific managers or your hiring practice with managers.
You may also receive really positive news about specific managers, and these people can then be used as a good leadership example for others.
What are the specific changes or improvements you would have liked to see within the company/team?
This gives you clear insight into improvements that need to be made from an employee’s perspective and allows employees more freedom to share the real reason for their departure without explicitly saying it.
For example, if the employee struggled with a few team members, they might share that they would have liked the opportunity to work within a different team.
Lucas Diegues, HR Business Partner at a hiring platform Revelo, offers three recommendations for conducting exit interviews:
- Be open and welcoming. Listen to any complaints, suggestions for improvement, or praise. This is not the time to change an employee’s perspective, but rather, a time to facilitate trust and connection.
- Be empathetic. Remember that the employee leaving the company also has expectations, frustrations, and motivations.
- Be strategic. Listen to the employee’s feedback while keeping a broad view of the business in mind. Dive deeper into the issues presented to implement improvements in the company’s teams, services, and organizational culture.
B. Questions about the job
Did the job live up to your expectations? If not, then why?
This is an important question because it gives you valuable insight into your recruitment process and whether candidates are given an accurate picture of what their role will entail and what working for the company will be like. If an employee answers “no,” then there may be a mismatch between the expectations of candidates and the reality of the job.
Do you feel your job description changed since you were hired? If so, then how?
This question can also help to prevent unrealistic candidate expectations. If employees share that there were a lot of changes in their role since being hired, this indicates that the job description for this role needs updating straight away to avoid this occurring again.
What qualities should we absolutely look for in your replacement?
The employee leaving the position is an expert when it comes to knowing what the most important skills, experience, and behavioral qualities are for their role. They have spent however long doing this job every day and are therefore in a strong position to know what is required to succeed in it.
C. Questions about the company culture
How would you describe our company culture?
If you want to gain a thorough understanding of the culture at your company through different perspectives, ask this question. No two employees will have the same experience. For example, a sales assistant on the shop floor may feel differently about the culture from a marketing manager who works at the HQ office.
This can help you address any difference in how the culture is felt between locations and positions.
What part of our company culture do you enjoy the most?
What do your employees value most about the organizational culture you have created in your company? Is it honesty, team spirit, innovation, or something else? Once you can see recurring themes, you will be in a stronger position to present the company to job seekers.
What aspect of our company culture do you think we need to change or improve?
There is always room for improvement, and sometimes managers and leadership teams are unaware of parts of the current culture that are not working or detrimental. However, if exit interviews repeatedly show that employees believe the culture is toxic on some level, HR can then start looking into it and making changes.
D. Questions about the work environment
How would you describe the workplace environment?
This is one of the best questions to ask in an exit interview regarding the workplace environment because it gives you insight from the employee’s perspective on practical things like how bright and well-lit the workplace is, how comfortable it is to work in, how safe they feel, or how much space they have.
This can help you check whether your current work environment is conducive to making your employees happy, safe, and productive at work.
What do you like most about your work environment/work area?
This question can help you discover what parts of the workplace and environment are most attractive so that you can then highlight these in your recruitment efforts and employer branding initiatives.
What do you like least about your work environment/work area?
Different people will dislike different things, but over time, you may be able to see patterns in your findings. For example, perhaps employees dislike not having a permanent desk to place their belongings and equipment on, or maybe there aren’t enough desks for the entire team to each have one.
These are small things that can be addressed relatively easily and improve the work environment for everyone.
E. Questions about the technology
Did you have enough tools & resources to do your job properly? If not, what was missing?
If employees don’t have the right tools and resources to do their job, this directly affects their experience and performance. So, this question can help you ensure you provide the right tools to your employees from the start.
When you first started your job, how easy was it to navigate the various systems and applications?
This exit interview question provides insight into the user experience your employees have when entering the company. If there are certain technical issues cropping up over and over again, you need to fix these to improve user experience and the overall first impression employees get of a company in their first few weeks.
You might also strengthen the part of your employee onboarding that focuses on working with systems and apps.
How satisfied were you with the tools you used to communicate with your colleagues and/or clients when working remotely?
Remote and hybrid working is on the rise, so if your organization has adapted to this model, it’s important to check on how well it’s working for employees. The tools your employees use to stay in touch and collaborate (with each other and clients) are essential to efficiency and productivity. This includes the tools used for video calls, chat systems, and document sharing.
2. Exit interview form template
An exit interview form template is a questionnaire or a survey that the employee fills out. Answers are provided on a rating scale and/or multiple-choice basis, but can include some open-ended questions.
The data from this method is more easily measurable and quantifiable than what exit interview questions provide.
Rating scale/multiple-choice questions
Rating scale and multiple-choice surveys have closed-ended questions that ask for feedback based on predetermined criteria. Employees respond by selecting a numerical rating or specified opinion. There may also be a section where respondents have the opportunity to expand on their answers in their own words.
Closed-ended/open-ended hybrid template
You can also use an exit interview form template that uses a combination of closed-ended and open-ended questions. It allows you to use the optimal format for gathering each kind of commentary you’re looking for.
3. Exit interview email template
An exit interview email template is a template of the email invite that will be sent to the departing employee for an exit interview. It’s important to explain all the key details, including the purpose of the interview, who will be there, where it will take place, and also share the questions you plan to ask so that the employee doesn’t feel ambushed.
Here’s an example of an exit interview email template:
Hi (Employee’s name),
Hope you’re well!
As you are leaving the company on (Date), we are inviting you to take part in an exit interview.
The purpose of this interview is to gain your valuable feedback on your experience working at (Company), which will help us make vital improvements in the future.
You’ll be asked a series of questions, which we have attached to this email. We recommend reading this in advance so that you can spend some time thinking about your responses. Please note that everything you share will remain confidential.
Here are all the details of the exit interview:
– (Date)
– (Time)
– (Location)
– Conducted by (name/s)
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Best,
(Name)
(Role)
How to conduct effective exit interviews
There are a number of steps you can follow to conduct effective exit interviews in your organization and ensure a positive offboarding experience for your leaving employees while gaining valuable insight into how your company can do better.
Make exit interviews a part of your offboarding process
Integrating exit interviews into your official offboarding process ensures that every employee completes an exit interview, which helps you collect valuable feedback from a wide range of departing employees.
This also helps the employees leave on a more positive note and keeps the door open for them to return in the future or simply be an ambassador for the company long after they walk out the door.
According to Kendra Janevski, Managing Director, Human Resources at Vault Consulting, the offboarding process is an opportunity to turn the departing employee into an alum who advocates for the organization.
“The new alum should have left as much baggage as possible with the organization in an exit interview. With time, alums can be part of the organization’s recruiting strategy or can return as boomerang employees,” recommends Janevski.
Use a template with relevant questions
Using a structured exit interview template with relevant questions helps lead interviews that are efficient and focused and provide valuable insights. Your exit interview data analysis also becomes faster and more productive as you can compare responses across themes, departments, and more.
As we’ve already mentioned, a template makes it easier to maintain consistency across exit interviews and means that the employee can view the questions ahead of time and give a more thoughtful, considered response.
Offer multiple channels for feedback
Everyone is different and has a different method of communication that they feel most comfortable with. This is why offering departing employees different ways to share feedback is also important.
You could ask them to fill out a form, complete an online interview, or take part in an in-person interview. This way, employees will feel comfortable and are more likely to open up and share their experiences and insights.
Analyze the exit interview data
The next step is to make sure that the data you collect is analyzed and does not go to waste. Review the collected feedback so you can uncover patterns, recurring themes, and areas for improvement within the organization.
Amira Kohler, Director of Performance and Change at a performance management software company Appraisd, also has advice for HR professionals leading exit interviews:
“Don’t get defensive and be tempted to ‘filter’ employees’ answers about the organization’s culture / workplace / management, or indeed, anything else they comment on! Rather, capture the information and analyze it to actually make some critical changes,” says Kohler.
Create an action plan
Once you’ve analyzed your data and discovered areas for improvement, the final step is to create a plan to address the highlighted concerns. This will enable you to improve the work environment for current and future employees.
Some changes will be relatively easy to make and can be rolled out almost immediately, while others will require more time and investment. Prioritize your plan of action based on what will have the greatest impact on the most people.
“Embrace feedback, don’t dismiss it. Collect candid input from departing employees, transforming potential blind spots into catalysts for growth and evolution.”
– Tara Furiani, “Not the HR Lady” keynote speaker and consultant
To summarize
Exit interviews provide valuable insight into potential issues in your organization that would otherwise go unnoticed. A considered exit interview template helps you stay on track, collect the relevant data you need, and provide a consistently positive offboarding experience for departing employees.
With this feedback, you can then act on your findings and cultivate a more productive and happy workplace for all.
FAQs
An example of an employee exit interview is an in-person meeting between the employee who is leaving the company and a member of HR, where HR asks the employee a series of predetermined questions about their experience at the organization and thoughts on how the workplace could be improved.
Aim to ask questions that cover these key five categories: reasons for leaving, job circumstances, company culture, work environment, and technology.
The most common questions to ask include why the employee is leaving, what improvements they would like to see in the company, and whether they would recommend the company as a good place to work, along with why. Make sure to tailor your questions to suit your organization.
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