Exit interview: Free template and best practices

Published

May 30, 2025

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An employee’s departure from your organization isn’t just an ending. It’s an opportunity to gather honest insights, improve your workplace, and even leave the door open for their return. A well-run exit interview can do all that, and more.

Exit interviews are structured conversations between departing employees and their employers designed to gather candid feedback and constructive criticism about the employee’s experience with your company. A combination of the right exit interview questions and analysis gives HR managers important insights into why employees choose to leave their jobs. With this knowledge, you can assess turnover trends, identify opportunities to improve workplace practices, and enhance your recruitment and retention efforts.

In this article, you'll discover how exit interviews improve employee feedback, along with best practices, common questions, and downloadable templates.

What is an exit interview?

Exit interviews are key in helping companies reduce turnover and improve their work environment. Normally held in the final days of an employee’s time with the company, these interviews are usually facilitated by HR or an impartial third party to encourage honest, constructive feedback. The main goal is to understand the employee’s reasons for leaving and gather insights that can drive positive change.

For employees, it’s a chance to share their thoughts and experiences in a confidential setting. For employers, it provides a clearer picture of what’s working well and what areas need improvement, ultimately supporting a better work environment for everyone.

Why do exit interviews matter?

Effective exit interviews can help organizations understand why employees decide to move on. Analyzing the feedback gleaned from exit interviews enables you to make positive changes in the workplace and among your workforce, improving employee engagement and reducing attrition rates. Exit interviews give outgoing employees the chance to offer candid insights and observations, which can reveal patterns and highlight areas of concern within your company. For instance, if a number of departing employees mention the same challenges or issues, it may indicate serious underlying problems that require attention.

By taking the time to learn from exit interviews, you can make smarter decisions to address employee turnover, improve retention, and cut down the costs of constantly hiring and training new people. Remaining on good terms with former employees also helps protect your company’s reputation, since those who leave on a positive note still act as brand ambassadors. In the future, they may send top talent your way or even return themselves. A well-run exit interview can make a big difference in ensuring people leave with a positive impression, no matter their reason for leaving.

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What to include in an exit interview

Before starting an exit interview, gathering basic information such as the employee’s name and title, their manager’s name, department, your name (if conducting the interview), dates, and other relevant administrative information is essential. With this done, you can focus on the following core elements that make up a comprehensive exit interview:

Reason for leaving

Understanding why an employee is departing forms the core of the exit interview. Ask open-ended questions about the reasons the employee has decided to leave. Whether it’s due to better opportunities elsewhere, dissatisfaction with management, a desire for a different work-life balance, or personal reasons, knowing these reasons can help you refine retention and other HR strategies.

Compensation and benefits

The departing employee’s views on compensation—pay, bonuses, and benefits—indicate whether they believe the company is competitive. Ask specific questions about their salary, health coverage, and other perks. Did they feel satisfied with their compensation? Were certain areas lacking? How could the company improve? Their feedback offers valuable insight to reassess and adjust your organization's compensation framework.

Job satisfaction and role clarity

Did the employee understand their responsibilities, and were their expectations met? Ask about role clarity, workload, and how well their skills and interests aligned with the job. Their answers can highlight mismatches between the employee and the role or areas where improved communication could better manage expectations.

Manager and team relationships

Strong, positive relationships with managers and co-workers are crucial to job satisfaction. Ask the departing employee about the communication, management style, support, and feedback they received. Did they feel listened to and valued? Poor leadership is a major factor in employee turnover.

Company culture and work environment

Employees spend a significant amount of time interacting with their colleagues, and the quality of your company’s workplace culture directly impacts their job experience and morale. Ask about their opinions on the atmosphere, teamwork, and collaboration. Did they find the work environment safe, positive, rewarding, and motivating, or did they struggle with challenges like personality clashes and tight-knit cliques? Their feedback will help you determine if your corporate culture is hurting retention.

Training and development opportunities

Employees want to grow in their jobs and careers, and stagnation can lead to frustration. Ask the departing employee if they were satisfied with the growth opportunities available to them. Did they receive the training, professional development, or advancement opportunities they needed? This kind of feedback can highlight gaps in your learning and development programs.

Suggestions for improvement

Departing employees often have valuable ideas about improving the workplace and boosting efficiency. Encourage them to share their thoughts. Their input can lead to meaningful changes in policies, processes, and organizational practices, helping you improve your work environment.

Willingness to recommend

At the end of the exit interview, ask the departing employee if they would recommend the company to others as a good place to work. This straightforward question provides valuable insight into their overall satisfaction and how they perceive your company’s reputation. Their response can help you gauge the strength of your company’s brand and reveal areas for improvement.

How to conduct a successful exit interview: 5 key steps

A successful exit interview begins with a clear, structured process that helps you collect valuable feedback while ensuring the departing employee feels respected and heard. Follow these five key steps on how to conduct an exit interview professionally and effectively:

Step 1. Prepare for the interview

Start by scheduling the exit interview at a convenient time for the departing employee, ideally after completing most offboarding tasks, but before their final workday. Give the employee enough notice so they can reflect and prepare. This will lead to more insightful feedback. Prepare a set of tailored questions that cover important areas like job satisfaction, company culture, management effectiveness, reasons for leaving, and suggestions for improvement. Use open-ended questions to invite detailed responses and make sure your questions are relevant to your organization’s needs.

Step 2. Sett the tone

Set a positive and respectful tone from the beginning. Choose a private, comfortable location where the employee feels safe to speak openly, whether in person or virtually. Clearly explain that the purpose of the exit interview is to hear about their workplace experience and learn from their feedback. This helps build trust and makes the employee feel valued, encouraging candid conversation.

Step 3. Encourage honest feedback

While conducting the exit interview, ensure you actively listen to the employee and ask follow-up questions to drill down into important topics. Show genuine interest in their perspective (don’t fake it). Refrain from interrupting them or pushing back on their comments. This is precisely the type of feedback you’re looking for.

When discussing sensitive topics, show genuine empathy but remain neutral. If the employee mentions negative managerial or workplace concerns, ask for specific examples of their frustrations and how they would resolve them. Reminding the employee that the interview is confidential will help them feel comfortable sharing candid insights.

Step 4. Document insights

You only get one chance at this, so take detailed notes during the exit interview, including facts, themes, and emotions. Using a structured template (see below) will help ensure consistency in your exit interview process.

Step 5. Analyze results for improvement

Review the responses after the interview (don’t forget to thank the employee and wish them well!) and look for recurring themes or patterns across multiple exit interviews. These can indicate areas requiring prompt attention. Share relevant insights with HR, management, and other key stakeholders. Develop action plans to address any issues identified, and track progress over time to ensure continuous improvement.

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Exit interview best practices and common mistakes

Conducting effective exit interviews requires more than just asking the right questions. It’s about following proven best practices while avoiding common errors that can undermine the quality of employee feedback.

Knowing what works (and what doesn’t) can make a big difference in how open and insightful the exit interview is. Templates are an easy way to stay on track: they help you stick to a structured format, avoid missteps, and keep things consistent across every exit interview (more on templates below).

Here are some best practices and common mistakes to consider:

Exit interview best practices

1. Choose a neutral, private setting

Creating a comfortable environment by holding the interview in a private space where the employee can speak openly. For remote employees, use a secure virtual meeting platform and take extra steps to ensure they feel safe sharing honest feedback.

2. Ensure confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality encourages departing employees to share honest feedback without fear of retaliation. When employees trust you will handle their responses discreetly, they are more likely to raise sensitive issues. Communicating how the exit interview information will be used helps maintain trust and respect.

3. Listen actively and follow up

Practice active listening during the exit interview process. Maintain eye contact, nod to show understanding, and ask follow-up questions. Go beyond hearing the employees' words; focus on understanding the emotions and concerns behind them. If you think the employee wants to say more but hesitates, simply pause (even if it feels awkward) and wait for them to add more. Take detailed notes, but remember to maintain eye contact and stay fully engaged in the conversation.

4. Ask open-ended questions

Yes or no questions won’t give you meaningful feedback. You’ll get an answer, but not much detail. Ask open-ended questions that touch on various topics to get more valuable insights. For example, instead of asking, "Were you happy in your job?" try, "What parts of your job did you enjoy most, and which ones were frustrating?"

5. Foster a non-confrontational dialogue

Your goal is to create a comfortable environment for the employee. That goes for the conversation, too. In addition to creating a safe space, keep the dialogue open and relaxed so employees feel safe sharing honest feedback. A calm, respectful tone helps avoid defensiveness and encourages more useful insights. It can help to have someone else lead the conversation, like an HR team member trained to handle sensitive topics and offer a neutral perspective.

6. End on a positive note

Wrap up the interview by thanking the employee for their time and contributions, and wish them well in their next chapter. Ending the conversation positively and respectfully helps leave a lasting good impression. Even if their experience wasn’t perfect, a thoughtful goodbye can reinforce a sense of goodwill, which is important for maintaining your company brand and supporting future referrals.

Exit interview common mistakes

Exit interviews can miss the mark if you're not careful. Avoiding these common mistakes helps ensure the conversation is both effective and insightful.

Asking leading questions

Asking questions that steer employees toward certain answers is one of the fastest ways to get unhelpful feedback. When you frame a question like, “You’re leaving because of your new team leader, aren’t you?” you push employees to confirm your assumptions instead of sharing how they really feel. Use open-ended questions instead, like “What made you decide it was time to leave?” to encourage honest responses.

Failing to act on feedback

Collecting exit interview feedback only matters if you put it to use. When organizations fail to act on feedback, word can spread among current employees, leading to a loss of trust. Make it a priority to review what employees share, look for actionable insights, and keep your workforce in the loop. This shows you’re listening and are serious about workplace improvements.

Making it feel like a formality

Employees won't open up if an exit interview feels like just another task you’re checking off. When you treat it like a formality, you may miss out on valuable insights and make the employee feel undervalued. Take the time to make the interview count. Listen closely, show empathy, and engage with the employee’s experience.

Conducting the interview too late

Waiting until an employee’s last day or after they’ve left can lead to rushed or disengaged conversations. By then, the employee may have mentally checked out or may not feel comfortable sharing. Schedule exit interviews towards the end of offboarding, but before their final days, when they’re still engaged and willing to participate fully.

Exit interview templates and examples

To run a great exit interview, ask the right questions to encourage open, honest feedback. Use a template to guide the conversation, but stay flexible and follow the natural flow. Ask follow-ups when something needs more detail.

Here are three templates to help you run an effective exit interview. Download the template that best suits your situation.

If you’d like to customize these templates, make a copy and adapt the template to your specific needs and industry practices. Add or remove questions as necessary, but remember to keep them open-ended.

Simplified exit interview template

Use this template when you have limited time or require feedback in specific areas only.

Download our simplified exit interview template

In-depth (or standard) exit interview template

You can use this exit interview questions template in most situations. It covers all key feedback areas.

Download our in-depth exit interview template

Termination exit interview template

Participation in an exit interview after termination is voluntary. You can’t require a former employee to take part, but if they agree, especially in cases of termination not for cause, you can gain valuable feedback. If appropriate, you can request an interview in a termination letter.

Download our termination exit interview template

Streamline exit interviews with Rippling

With Rippling, you can automate almost every aspect of offboarding, making the process efficient, insightful, and compliant–all in a single platform. Rippling’s HRIS software streamlines the employee exit phase, enabling employers to gather valuable feedback and other critical offboarding tasks with a minimum of administrative hassle, with features like:

Customizable employee survey tools
One-click access revocation across integrated apps and devices
Automated final pay and benefits calculations
Quick and efficient device recovery for remote employees
Compliance ensured with federal and state labor laws

Rippling ensures a smooth, compliant offboarding experience that supports every phase of the employee life cycle. With Rippling’s HRIS software, you can manage an employee’s departure with confidence, knowing that every step is covered. By automating key tasks, you free up time and energy to focus on supporting your team and driving growth.

Exit interview template FAQs

What is the format of an exit interview?

The format of an exit interview varies based on factors such as the employee’s reason for leaving and company policy. However, most exit interviews include these key elements in the overall process:

Scheduling before the employee’s last day
Using a standard set of open-ended questions
Practicing active listening to ensure clarity and understanding
Conducting the interview in a confidential, safe environment
Thanking the employee and wishing them well

Afterward, the feedback is analyzed and acted upon to improve the workplace.

How long should an exit interview last?

A typical exit interview lasts between 30 minutes and an hour. This gives you enough time for a focused conversation on key topics while respecting everyone’s time.

Are exit interviews mandatory?

Exit interviews are not legally mandatory, but they are strongly recommended as a best practice and are often included as a required step in internal offboarding checklists. Exit interviews are an excellent opportunity for employers to gather valuable, candid feedback and gain insights that can strengthen company culture and boost performance.

What do you say at an exit interview?

At an exit interview, ask the employee about their experience, why they're leaving, and how the company could improve. Use open-ended questions to get honest feedback, listen closely, and keep things professional but friendly. Be sure to thank them for their work and insights. Their feedback can help you improve the workplace for current and future employees.

What is the difference between an exit interview and an exit survey?

An exit interview is a face-to-face or virtual meeting where an employee discusses their reasons for leaving with HR or a manager. During this conversation, you may use an exit interview form or template to guide the discussion.

An exit survey, on the other hand, is usually an automated process, where employees complete an online employee exit interview form, often based on an exit survey template with standard exit survey questions. While the exit interview questions to ask are typically more open-ended for deeper insights, the survey focuses on quick, measurable feedback.

Does the HR department always conduct exit interviews?

In most organizations, the HR department is responsible for conducting exit interviews. This helps ensure that the process is handled professionally and confidentially. However, in some cases, direct managers or third-party services may also conduct the interviews, depending on company policy.

Can exit interviews be conducted remotely?

Yes, exit interviews can be conducted remotely, especially if the employee worked remotely or if in-person meetings are not possible. Using video conferencing tools allows for a face-to-face conversation, which ensures the employee feels comfortable. Whether the employee is quitting for a new job or simply leaving due to other reasons, remote interviews still give HR valuable insights into the departure.

Do you conduct an exit interview when an employee is terminated?

Many organizations conduct an exit interview when an employee is terminated. While the circumstances are different from someone deciding to leave for a new job, it’s still an opportunity for HR and the manager to understand the employee experience and identify any underlying issues that may impact employee retention. These interviews can highlight problems that affect overall employee satisfaction and help reduce future turnover. Even in cases of termination, gathering feedback during the departure process can support better HR practices and reduce the likelihood that other employees will quit unexpectedly. In some cases, an exit survey is a better option.

Why should my company conduct exit interviews?

Exit interviews provide valuable insights into why employees leave your organization, offering a chance to identify areas for improvement in management, workplace culture, and company policies. This feedback can help reduce employee turnover, enhance employee satisfaction, and strengthen your employer brand. Understanding the employee experience during their time with your company can directly influence future employee retention and help managers make informed decisions when someone decides to leave.

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