Exit interviews are one of the few chances HR teams and business leaders have to gather candid, actionable feedback from departing employees. When done right, they can surface insights into workplace culture, team dynamics, and management practices that might otherwise go unnoticed.
In today’s competitive and unpredictable global job market, retaining top talent and improving employee experience are constant priorities. Exit interviews help close the loop on the employee lifecycle, in a way that ensures your offboarding process is just as meticulous as the onboarding.
To make that process easier, we’ve created a free, downloadable exit interview template—plus several variations specific to different roles and situations, common exit interview questions, as well as exit interviews best practices. Whether you're offboarding a remote employee, an intern, or a team lead, this guide will help you ask the right questions and gather meaningful and more honest feedback.
What Is an Exit Interview?
An exit interview is a structured conversation between a departing employee and someone from the organization—typically HR or a team leader. Its goal is to understand why the person is leaving and to gather honest employee feedback about their experience with the company.
While it might sound similar to a resignation conversation, the two are different. A resignation meeting is focused on notice periods, final tasks, and logistics. An exit interview, on the other hand, is about thinking things through. It offers the employee a safe space to share their thoughts on company culture, leadership, workload, and what could be improved for future employees.
If done consistently, conducting exit interviews can be an asset with which a company can strike back against turnover and attrition. They can highlight recurring issues, reveal blind spots in management, and validate what’s working well—which can help create a better workplace and, thus, might also rise employee morale. In short, they help businesses grow by learning from the people who are leaving.
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What to Include in an Exit Interview Questionnaire
A well-structured exit interview questionnaire strikes a balance between uniformity and open feedback. It guarantees that you capture the essentials while giving employees space to share their experiences freely and upfront. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a form, a face-to-face conversation, or a digital survey, these are the core elements every exit interview should cover:
- Employee details—Start with the basics: name, department, role, manager, and length of employment. This context helps HR spot patterns over time—like whether turnover is noticeable in specific teams or salary brackets.
- Reason for leaving—Offer a checklist of common reasons (e.g. compensation, personal reasons, career development and organizational culture), but always include an open-text option. People often have more than one reason—and the specifics live in the comments.
- Workplace environment feedback—Ask about the day-to-day experience: Was the workload manageable? Were tools and processes effective? This helps surface friction points that may impact current team performance.
- Management and Leadership experience—Leadership can be a key driver of engagement—or turnover. Invite feedback on how supported the employee felt by their manager, how communication was handled, and whether leadership was aligned with company values.
- Role clarity and Satisfaction—Did the role meet expectations? Was the scope clear? Did the employee feel their skills were used well? Misalignment here is often a warning sign for future retention risks.
- Culture and Values alignment—This is where you learn if the company’s stated values match the employee’s lived experience. It’s also a chance to identify inclusion gaps or cultural friction that may not show up in engagement surveys.
- Final comments—Leave space for anything not covered above. Some of the most valuable feedback comes from open-ended questions that invite honest, off-script responses.
- Return of company assets—If applicable, confirm the return of laptops, keycards, phones, or other equipment. Using an asset management software can simplify this process and reduce the risk of loss.
- Document sign-off—Wrap up with any final paperwork or compliance steps. If you're using a document signing tool, this part can be quick and trackable.
Exit Interview Template
Use this exit interview template to guide a structured conversation or digital form. It includes both closed and open-ended questions to uncover information a company can then use to improve their HR strategies.
🔹 Employee Information
To be filled in by HR or collected via form
- Name:
- Job Title:
- Department:
- Manager:
- Start Date:
- End Date:
- Interview Date:
- Interviewer Name & Role:
🔹 Reason for Leaving
Select all that apply and elaborate if needed
☐ New job opportunity
☐ Career advancement
☐ Better compensation/benefits
☐ Personal/family reasons
☐ Relocation
☐ Company culture mismatch
☐ Lack of growth or development
☐ Manager relationship
☐ Workload or stress
☐ Other (please specify): ___________
Open-ended:
- What motivated your decision to leave?
🔹 Work Environment
- What aspects of your day-to-day work were most satisfying?
- What challenges did you regularly face in your role?
- Did you have the tools and resources needed to succeed?
🔹 Management & Leadership
- How would you describe your relationship with your direct manager?
- Did you receive constructive feedback and support?
- How well did leadership communicate company goals or changes?
🔹 Role Clarity & Satisfaction
- Was your job description accurate and clear?
- Did your responsibilities change over time?
- Were your skills and talents used effectively?
🔹 Company Culture & Values
- Did you feel a sense of belonging at the company?
- Were the company’s values reflected in everyday work?
- Did you feel your voice was heard and respected?
🔹 Final Feedback
- What could we have done to encourage you to stay?
- Would you recommend this company to others? Why or why not?
- Is there anything else you’d like to share?
🔹 Offboarding Checklist
To be completed by HR or IT
☐ Access cards/keys returned
☐ Email and system access revoked
☐ Documents signed via [Document Signing Tool]
☐ Exit interview form filed/stored
You can adapt this template to different employee types or interview formats—more on that in the next section. It works well in Word, Google Forms, or as part of an HR software workflow.
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Can Exit Interviews be Self-Served?
Yes. Some companies send out exit questionnaires which the departing team member can complete and email back with some answers. HR reps have anecdotally reported that many employees just "phone the questionnaire in" and don't put too much effort on it. That's why an interview is a better idea.
4 Exit Interview Template Variations
As in most areas, one-size-fits-all doesn’t always work when it comes to offboarding. Different roles and exit types call for slight adjustments in tone, focus, and depth. Here are four practical variations of the exit interview template to help you adjust your approach:
Managerial Exit Interview Template
When a leader leaves, their insights can be especially valuable—not just about their own experience, but about the teams they managed.
Additional questions to include:
- How would you describe your relationship with your direct reports?
- What leadership challenges did you face within your team or department?
- Were you supported by senior leadership in your goals?
- What would you recommend to improve leadership development or alignment?
Tip: Use this version to uncover systemic issues in middle or senior management structures.
Remote Employee Exit Interview Template
Remote employees often have a different view of the company—based on virtual culture, asynchronous communication, and self-management.
Additional questions to include:
- Did you feel included and connected while working remotely?
- How effective were the tools and platforms used for collaboration?
- Were expectations and priorities clearly communicated?
- What could improve the remote employee experience?
Tip: These insights are key for improving remote onboarding, engagement, and retention strategies.
Intern Exit Interview Template
Internships are short, but they can reveal a lot about your employer brand, onboarding experience, and mentorship culture.
Additional questions to include:
- Did you feel welcomed and supported during your internship?
- Was the scope of your work meaningful and aligned with your learning goals?
- What skills or knowledge did you gain from the experience?
- Would you consider returning to this company in the future?
Tip: Use this version to strengthen internship programs and create long-term talent pipelines.
Voluntary vs. Involuntary Exit Interviews
The tone and content of the interview will vary depending on whether the departure was voluntary (resignation) or involuntary (termination or layoff).
For voluntary exits, focus on:
- Reasons for leaving
- What might have encouraged them to stay
- Constructive feedback for improving the employee experience
For involuntary exits, focus on:
- Final logistics (assets, access, compliance)
- Communication clarity and respect during the separation process
- Any unresolved concerns or feedback they wish to share
Tip: While some involuntary exits may skip the full interview, offering a respectful, scaled-down version can still provide useful insights—and demonstrate professionalism.
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Conclusion and Next Steps
Standardizing your exit interview process means capturing helpful information that can establish your culture, cut down on costly turnover, and improve how your organization supports people at every stage of the employee lifecycle.
If you implement a consistent, well-designed exit interview template, you can be sure every departure is handled with clarity, professionalism, and purpose. And when paired with the right tools, the process becomes even more streamlined and actionable.
If you’re looking to simplify your offboarding process even further, you might want to try TalentHR’s smart survey tool, which lets you:
- Launch customizable surveys—powered by AI—in seconds
- Choose anonymous or named responses to match your goals
- Visualize results with real-time charts and filters
- Turn employee feedback into real culture improvements
With the right exit interview framework and smart tools to back it up, your offboarding process can become a strategic asset—and not just an administrative task.
Exit Interview FAQs
Q: Who is the best person to conduct an effective exit interview?
A: The most effective exit interviews are conducted by someone neutral and trusted—typically an HR professional or a People Operations lead. Their role is to create a space where the departing team member feels safe sharing honest feedback. In smaller organizations without a formal HR function, a senior leader who wasn’t the employee’s direct manager can serve this role well.
Q: What is the right way to conduct an exit interview?
A: A successful exit interview starts with setting a respectful, open tone. It should feel more like a conversation than a formal evaluation. The person who conducts the exit interview should explain the point of exit interviews clearly, ask thoughtful and consistent questions, and listen without judgment. Whether the interview happens in person, over a video call, or via an online form, the focus should always be on gathering insights that can lead to real improvements.
Q: What is the format of an exit interview?
A: Exit interviews can take different forms depending on your resources and goals. Some organizations prefer a live conversation, either in person or via video call, to collect more detailed feedback. But some other organizations prefer self-served, async questionnaires, which are not as effective as an interview proper.
