Exit Interview Checklist
An exit interview checklist with practical questions: prepare, run an honest leaver interview, record answers fairly and turn feedback into lasting changes.
- Typical schedule per leaver
- The checklist 4 sections, 20 items
- Variables
{{employee_name}}
Use this checklist when an employee who is leaving agrees to an exit interview. Leavers can often say what current staff will not, about management, workload, pay or culture. The interview is only useful if the answers are recorded honestly and someone acts on the patterns.
Who owns it
HR or a neutral person owns the interview. Ideally it is not the leaver's direct manager, because the manager is often part of the reason they are leaving. In very small companies without HR, a founder or a manager from another team can run it.
Common pitfalls
- Holding it on the last afternoon. People are tired and want to leave on good terms. The last week or two is usually better.
- Trying to change their mind. An exit interview is not a retention talk. If you want to make a counter-offer, do it separately and earlier.
- Promising anonymity you cannot keep. In a team of ten, "anonymous" feedback is easy to trace. Say clearly who will see the notes and in what form.
- Collecting and filing. Notes in a drawer change nothing. Review the themes across all leavers a few times a year.
- Storing too much. Exit notes are personal data. Keep them factual and limit who can read them. Adapt this to your jurisdiction; it is a practical checklist, not legal advice.
The run in Runbook keeps a dated record that the interview happened and that the follow-up was discussed, without storing the sensitive answers in the checklist itself.
The checklist: Exit interview with {{employee_name}}
Prepare
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{{employee_name}}asked whether they are willing to do an exit interviewMake it voluntary. Offer a written questionnaire as an alternative.
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Interviewer chosen who is not their direct manager
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Meeting booked for 30 to 45 minutes during the last two weeks
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Explained in advance who will see the notes and how they will be used
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Role, tenure and reason for leaving (if already known) reviewed
Ask
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Asked what made them start looking, or what made them say yes to the new offer
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Asked what they enjoyed most and what they would keep unchanged
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Asked about their relationship with their manager and what support was missing
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Asked whether their workload and expectations were realistic
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Asked whether they had the tools, training and growth they needed
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Asked whether pay and benefits played a role
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Asked what one thing the company should change first
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Asked whether they would recommend the company to a friend, and why or why not
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Asked whether they would consider coming back in the future optional
Record
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Answers written down in their own words, without interpretation
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Serious allegations (e.g. harassment, discrimination, fraud) escalated through the proper process
These need their own investigation, not only an exit note.
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Notes stored with restricted access in the personnel file or HR system
Act on the feedback
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Themes summarised without identifying details
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Summary shared with the relevant leader in the agreed form
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Themes added to the regular review of all exit interviews
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
What questions should you ask in an exit interview?
Ask why they started looking, what they liked, how they experienced their manager and workload, whether pay and growth played a role, and what one thing should change first. Open questions work better than ratings. Let silences run, because the most useful answers often come after a pause.
Who should conduct the exit interview?
Someone neutral, usually HR or a manager from another team. Leavers are rarely open with the manager they are leaving. In a very small company, a founder can do it, as long as they listen without defending decisions.
Are exit interviews mandatory?
Usually not. They work best when they are voluntary, and some people prefer a written form or no interview at all. Respect that, and keep the offboarding itself independent of whether they agree.
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