Free Exit Interview Template with a Guide to Understanding Employee Turnover

When a team member quits your organization to pursue a new opportunity, you can discover why. An exit interview allows departing employees to explain their resignation succinctly. When establishing a secure space for people to speak openly, you can determine the fundamental cause of their leave and whether the firm played a role in it. Exit interview templates are a great place to start this process.

To acquire valuable insights from exit interviews, ask intelligent, open-ended questions. Your goal should be to make the candidate feel at ease so they are more likely to be open with you. The greatest exit interviews help you discover where you went wrong, allowing you to strengthen your workplace and boost employee morale.

What is an Exit Interview?

An exit interview is a one-on-one conversation between a human resources manager and an employee who has decided to leave the organization. It is an opportunity to learn why your team member is departing and whether the firm can improve. When you understand the reasons behind a voluntary resignation, you may create an action plan to improve things for future employees. Many businesses have prepared exit interview templates to aid such a procedure.

Exit interviews, in addition to determining the reason for departure, reveal how the departing team member perceives your organization. Team members who are departing may believe that it is easier to be open about praise and criticism of company operations, their manager, or their team function. These can also prove useful in understanding employee turnover.

Structure of Questions To Create An Exit Interview Template

Are you ready to start your first exit interview? Use this exit interview template to facilitate productive and effective interactions with departing employees.

To start, it’s essential to handle some administrative tasks. This involves recording the following information:

• Employee’s name
• Job title
• Line Manager’s name
• Interviewer's name
• Date of the discussion
• Employee’s last working day

If this hasn’t been mentioned in the exit survey, ask the employee to explain their primary reason for leaving. If they chose to leave voluntarily, you might want to inquire whether they are moving on to another job, taking time off to pursue education, retiring, or focusing on personal projects. In cases of involuntary turnover, make sure to document the reason for their departure—whether their role was eliminated, there was a layoff, they weren’t meeting performance expectations, or they were let go due to misconduct.

After that, feel free to ask the employee any questions you might have and make sure to note their answers. You can ask them to explain any points from the exit survey or delve deeper into particular aspects of their experience with your business. Not sure what to ask? Don't worry, we'll provide some example exit interview questions in the next section.

According to an exit interview template, please take a moment to thank the employee for their time and wish them the best in their future endeavors. Wrapping up the conversation positively can keep the possibility open for them to return if their new role doesn't turn out as expected. They may always find their way back to your team in the future.

Important Questions from the Exit Interview Template

General questions

Even if some of the following questions appear in your exit survey, it can be beneficial to discuss them in person to gain deeper insights into your employees' feedback. By exploring their answers further or asking about their overall experience, you can initiate a conversation that helps you understand their time with your company and whether they are leaving positively or negatively. Employees sometimes return, so let them know your door is always open if their new job doesn’t meet their expectations.

Here are some examples of general questions from the exit interview template:

• What are some of the strengths of [Company]?
• In what areas do you think [Company] could improve?
• What influenced your decision to leave?
• What was the main reason for your departure from [Company]?
• On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate your overall experience at [Company]?
• Would you recommend [Company] to your friends or family as a workplace?
• Is there anything we haven’t discussed that you would like to mention?

Compensation questions

Salary is important. By asking about your company’s compensation package and what the employee’s new employer offers, you can gain insights into how your pay compares to others in the industry.

• Did you feel that you were fairly compensated for your role and your contributions?
• What benefits does your new company provide that we don't?
• Are there any perks or benefits we currently lack that you think we should consider offering?

Personal Development Questions

Employees have a strong desire for growth in their careers. A recent survey from the University of Phoenix's Annual Career Optimism Index (2022) revealed that 40% of employees feel there is no clear path for advancement with their current employer. If your team members can’t envision a bright future within your organization, they might seek opportunities elsewhere. Are you concerned that the lack of internal growth options might be causing your talent to leave?

Consider asking these questions during from the exit interview template questions to gain insight into development opportunities:

• Did you feel that [Company] was genuinely committed to your professional development? Why or why not?
• Did you think there would have been worthwhile career opportunities for you at [Company]?
• What were the main obstacles that hindered your development while working at [Company]?
• How often did you receive feedback from your manager or colleagues?

Team questions

Team Relationships and Workplace Happiness Enjoying the company of your colleagues is a significant factor in workplace happiness and is often why many people choose to stay with a company. Suppose employees didn't feel connected with their teammates or were hesitant to express themselves in group situations. In that case, your organization must understand the underlying reasons to prevent this from affecting future hires.

Here are some questions from the exit interview template you can consider asking about team dynamics and any challenges that might be making employees feel unsupported by their peers:

• Did you feel a sense of connection with your team? What influenced that feeling?
• Did you feel comfortable being yourself and speaking openly with your team?
• Are there any specific issues affecting team morale that should be addressed? What suggestions do you have for improvement?
• Did you feel that your team fostered an environment of communication and collaboration?
• Were you comfortable bringing concerns or feedback to your manager?
• Did you feel valued as a member of your team and the organization?

Leadership Questions

In most organizations, decisions and priorities come from the top down, with senior leaders and executives guiding the way. Effective leadership can greatly enhance a company's success, while ineffective leadership can harm employee morale and drive talent away.

To gain insight into whether senior leadership played a role in an employee's decision to leave, consider asking the following questions from the exit interview template:

• Do you feel that the leaders at [Company] provide adequate updates about what’s going on within the business?
• Did the leadership at [Company] share a vision that inspired and motivated you?
• In what ways could our leadership team make improvements?

Finally, express your gratitude to the employee for their time and wish them the best in their future endeavors. Closing the conversation on a friendly note keeps the possibility open for them to return if their new position turns out to be less than what they hoped for.

Why Use an Exit Interview Template

An exit interview template is a crucial tool for organizations looking to gather valuable insights from departing employees. By utilizing a structured format, companies can ensure that they cover all necessary topics while allowing for open and honest feedback.

An exit interview template not only standardizes the process but also helps in identifying patterns and trends within the organization, which can lead to meaningful changes. One of the important aspects of using an exit interview template is that it provides a consistent framework. This helps ensure that all employees departing the organization are asked similar questions, making it easier to analyze the feedback later. Without a template, important topics might be overlooked, and valuable information may be missed. Therefore, having an exit interview template is essential for consistently capturing the reasons behind employee turnover.

Additionally, an exit interview template can facilitate a constructive dialogue between the employee and the organization. It offers a safe space for the departing individual to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. This not only enhances the employee’s sense of respect but can also provide the organization with actionable insights that could prevent future resignations. When used effectively, an exit interview template can become a powerful tool for organizational growth.

Lastly, the implementation of an exit interview template can demonstrate to current employees that their feedback is valued. When employees see that their organization takes exit interviews seriously and utilizes the findings for improvement, it fosters a culture of openness and continuous improvement. In conclusion, an exit interview template is not just a formality; it is a strategic asset that helps organizations learn, adapt, and thrive in a competitive environment.

Become a part of the Paismo community

Paismo HR software can help simplify your HR processes. In today's dynamic economic environment, efficient HR and automated payroll management are no longer a luxury but a necessity. Paismo is a comprehensive solution transforming traditional HR complexes into streamlined and automated workflows. Paismo and its paired biometric devices can be used for your business to mark employee attendance and record their timesheets accurately.

Paismo simplifies your tasks with its core HRMS, timesheets, and attendance management, as well as biometric attendance, payroll automation, and leave management system.

Take the first step toward modernizing your HR and payroll processes and explore what Paismo can do for you. Book a demo with our exceptional sales team here.