What’s the purpose of an exit interview form?

Exit interviews help employers understand why employees are leaving the company (e.g., higher salary or better benefits elsewhere, work-life imbalance, denial of a request to work remotely, etc). By asking these departing employees about their reasons for leaving, employers can identify strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities within the organization to improve retention and engagement company-wide. Exit interview surveys can also provide insights into how employees perceive the company and what improvements the company could make to improve the workplace environment or employee benefits. Additionally, a proper exit interview form can improve a company’s risk management process, potentially uncovering situations, like discrimination or harassment, an employee may have encountered before they officially leave the organization. The more you know about an employee’s departure before they exit, the more likely you are to address and defuse any issues internally, reducing the risk they’ll take further action — such as seeking litigation, complaining on social media, or requesting an external investigation.

What questions should you ask in an exit interview form?

Your exit interview form should be specific to your company culture, industry, and overall messaging, but there are still some universal questions all exit interview forms should include. Here are seven questions — and a few granular follow-up questions — you should ask: What is/are the main reason(s) you’re leaving this position? -Were there specific events or circumstances you experienced while in your position that made you want to leave and/or work elsewhere? If so, what were they? If not, what was the deciding factor (e.g., change in career path, lack of growth opportunities, personal/familial responsibilities, etc.)? If you have a new position lined up, what does it offer that we can’t/don’t (e.g., higher salary, better benefits, the ability to work from home, etc.)? -Did we attempt to match it? If we had offered to match it, would you have stayed? Did you feel your management team and coworkers adequately supported you here? -Did your managers give you clear goals and objectives? -Did they provide you sufficient and thoughtful feedback on how to improve? -Did we give you the tools (software, training, hardware, etc.) to succeed? How would you describe our company culture? -Did you align with it? Did you feel your job responsibilities changed at any point after we hired you? -If so, in what ways? Did that affect your decision to leave? What were your favorite and least favorite aspects of your job? What can we improve on as an organization (e.g., training and development, staff support, company culture, etc.)? While asking short, straightforward, closed-ended questions (using Likert scales or rating systems, for example) will improve completion rates, it’s important to ask some open-ended questions too. Asking employees to provide further detail about their employment experience — instead of just having them answer “yes or no” or “satisfied or not satisfied” questions — will give you a deeper understanding of why they’re really leaving.

What questions should you avoid asking in an exit interview?

While exit interview questions can vary from business to business, there are a few you should never ask, regardless of organization type or industry. Avoid questions that address office gossip, involve your opinion on company issues or other employees, or request the employee to reconsider exiting. These questions can stir up anger and frustration in the employee — especially if they’re leaving for a particularly unpleasant reason — or provide fodder that they can then share with their former colleagues who still work for you. Also, avoid asking questions about an employee’s family or religion. Not only can these types of questions make employees feel uncomfortable, but they may be against the law in some cases. Keep the focus of the interview on the employee who’s leaving — this is about their feedback, after all — and remain as impartial as possible. Ask questions that will help you understand the employee’s experience at the company and how they felt about their job. That way, you can identify areas that need improvement and prevent employee departures in the future.

What are some common exit interview mistakes?

When done correctly, exit interviews provide valuable insights that can help a company make adjustments to retain its employees. However, a few common mistakes can make exit interviews less effective: Not asking all employees a standard set of questions. A lack of standardization makes it difficult to compare results and identify patterns. Not making the exit interview process confidential. Employees may be less likely to give honest feedback if they think their employer could use their responses against them. Not following up on the results of exit interviews. If a company doesn’t use the insights it gains from exit interviews, it’s unlikely retention will improve.

How can I make sure my company conducts effective exit interviews?

Exit interviews can provide valuable feedback, but if a company wants them to be effective, it must conduct them properly. Here are some tips for ensuring your exit interviews are effective: Make sure the questionnaire is clear and concise. The questions should be easy to understand and relevant to the individual’s departure from the organization. Allow enough time for completion. Give respondents enough time to answer the questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. Respect confidentiality. Ensure that respondents feel safe answering the questions honestly and without fear of retribution. Follow up as needed. If respondents have additional comments or suggestions, follow up with them after the interview to get more details. Analyze the results. Review the data collected from the exit interviews and look for trends or patterns. Use this information to improve your organization’s policies and procedures.

Can an exit interview or exit interview form be used against the company?

The short answer is not really. Employees aren’t required by law to participate in exit interviews, and they’re free to be as forthcoming or tight-lipped as they want. However, there are some exceptions depending on the state. For example, in California, an employer can use information obtained in an exit interview to defend themselves against a wrongful termination lawsuit. If you’re in a state with similar laws, be sure to consult with an attorney before conducting an exit interview. Exit interviews can be particularly helpful in ascertaining whether the departing employee plans to take any further action against the company. More importantly, exit interviews can provide insight into critical grievances — salary and benefit issues, communication breakdowns, and various employment disparities — that an organization needs to address before more people leave.

How can your company and its HR department benefit from exit interview forms?

HR and your company as a whole can greatly benefit from using exit interview forms and conducting exit interviews. They enable you to not only learn about why your employees decided to leave, but also to collect key insights on how to better serve your current employees as HR professionals. By gathering and analyzing exit interview responses, your HR team and your company can identify patterns or similar narratives around why people leave the team. To retain staff and keep current employees satisfied, it’s key to learn what went wrong or what could have been done better to keep an employee. Exit interview forms allow HR departments to lead their teams to success with data-driven results.

What are the key benefits of using the Exit Interview Form for employees and employers?

As mentioned above, a lot of the key benefits of using this Exit Interview Form template revolves around learning and growing as an HR team and a company. Exit interview forms can also benefit current employees and employers by encouraging company-wide changes to better suit employee issues and requests.

What information should be included in the exit interview form?

Exit interview forms should include form fields for the employee’s name, job title, last day of employment, reason for termination, and custom questions specific to your company or organization. Tailor your exit interview form to ask a number of questions specific to your company and culture to make the most out of your exit interviews. For example, you could ask why the employee chose to leave the company, if there was anything more they could have done to keep them on the team, if they would consider rejoining the team, and more, depending on what topics you’d like to target specifically.

When should I fill out the exit interview form?

You should fill out an exit interview form when you’re about to leave your job. Usually, employers send this form out during an employee’s last week or day of employment.

Exit Interview Form Template

Exit Interview Templates

14 Templates

Exit Interview Form

HR departments can use this free Exit Interview Form to conduct exit interviews online. Customize the form and share via email to quickly collect employee feedback.

Human Resources Forms

Exit Interview Questionnaire Form

Customize our free survey for your HR department’s exit interviews. Get feedback from outgoing employees online and learn how to improve your company.

Business Forms

Employee Exit Interview Form

Gather feedback online from outgoing employees to ensure a smoother resignation transition and improve your company. Easy to customize and embed.

Human Resources Forms

Exit Interview Checklist

Speed up your exit interviews with a free Exit Interview Checklist. Easy to customize and share with employees. Gather feedback to improve your company!

Human Resources Forms

Online Exit Interview Form

Seamlessly gather employee feedback with this free online Exit Interview. Customize the form in seconds and use the results to improve your company.

Human Resources Forms

Exit Feedback Form

An Exit Feedback Form is a questionnaire designed to help Human Resources departments determine the reasons for employee turnover.

Exit Interview Templates

Release Of Information Template

Release of info: Made for an LLC but flexible for. A Nonprofit’s use

Banking Forms

Client Exit Survey Form

MBSATA Client Exit Survey Form

Exit Interview Templates

Loan Exit Interview

Use our free Loan Exit Interview Form to summarize loan details, update contact info, and choose a repayment option. Customize your template in seconds!

Human Resources Forms

Student Loan Exit Interview

A Student Loan Exit Interview form is used to ensure the borrower fully understands and accepts the loan agreement before leaving the school. This will also help the student borrowers in preparing a payment arrangement. This form should be used for student borrowers who are about the graduate or leave the school. This well-designed Student Loan Exit Interview form template contains form fields about the student, school details like graduation date, personal references, employer details, reminders, and a signature field. This form template is using the E-Signature widget to capture a signature digitally. The personal references section is using the Input Table to gather the information in a table format which shows the name, phone number, address, and relationship to the student. Using the Form Builder, you can further customize this form template to your preferred color theme, font format, and form layout. You can also insert additional instructions or reminders by using the Text field in the Form Builder.

Human Resources Forms

Veteran Exit Survey

This form should be accessible via a link that is emailed to veterans who are leaving the Meals for Vets program.

Exit Interview Templates

Legal Advocate Exit Offboarding Form

Streamline your offboarding process with the Legal Advocate Exit Offboarding Form. Collect feedback, ensure compliance, and manage responsibilities effectively using Jotform's no-code form builder.

Human Resources Forms

Machine Operator Offboarding Form

The Machine Operator Offboarding Form helps HR departments collect essential offboarding information from employees, ensuring a smooth transition and efficient data collection.

Human Resources Forms

Greenhouse Worker Offboarding Form

The Greenhouse Worker Offboarding Form helps HR departments collect feedback, retrieve company property, and ensure exit procedures are followed for departing employees.

Human Resources Forms

About Exit Interview Templates

Exit Interview Templates are structured forms designed to collect feedback from employees who are leaving an organization. These templates help HR departments and managers understand the reasons behind an employee’s departure, gather insights on workplace culture, identify areas for improvement, and ensure a smooth transition. Exit interviews can cover topics such as job satisfaction, management effectiveness, work environment, and suggestions for organizational growth. By standardizing the exit interview process, organizations can systematically analyze trends and address recurring issues, ultimately improving employee retention and workplace satisfaction.

With Jotform, users can easily access and customize a wide range of Exit Interview Templates to fit their organization’s unique needs. Jotform’s intuitive drag-and-drop Form Builder allows HR professionals to tailor questions, add branding, and integrate with other tools for seamless data collection and analysis. The platform’s no-code approach means anyone can create, modify, and deploy exit interview forms in minutes, ensuring a consistent and efficient process. Automatic data storage, real-time notifications, and advanced filtering features make it easy to manage and review feedback, helping organizations make informed decisions based on actionable insights.

Use Cases of Exit Interview Templates

Exit Interview Templates can be adapted for various scenarios and organizational needs. Here’s how they can be utilized, who might use them, and how their content may differ:

1. Possible Use Cases:

Standard employee exit interviews for full-time staff
Exit interviews for interns, contractors, or temporary employees
Department-specific exit interviews (e.g., sales, IT, customer service)
Remote or offboarding interviews for employees leaving due to relocation or remote work changes
Exit interviews focused on specific issues, such as workplace culture or management feedback

2. Problem Solving Points:

Identifying patterns in employee turnover
Uncovering workplace issues or management challenges
Improving onboarding and retention strategies
Ensuring compliance and proper documentation during offboarding
Facilitating knowledge transfer and transition planning

3. Possible Owners and Users:

HR managers and HR departments
Team leaders and department heads
Organizational development specialists
Small business owners
Third-party HR consultants

4. Differences of Creation Methods:

Content and fields may vary based on the employee’s role, department, or reason for leaving
Templates for interns may focus on learning experiences, while those for senior staff may include leadership feedback
Remote exit interviews might include questions about virtual collaboration tools and remote work policies
Some forms may require additional confidentiality agreements or legal disclosures

In summary, Exit Interview Templates offer flexibility to address a variety of offboarding scenarios, ensuring organizations gather relevant feedback and maintain a positive employer brand.

How to Create an Exit Interview Template

Creating an effective Exit Interview Template with Jotform ensures you gather valuable feedback while providing a professional and seamless experience for departing employees. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building and managing your exit interview process using Jotform, tailored to your organization’s specific needs and scenarios:

1. Start with the Right Template or From Scratch:

Log in to your Jotform account and click “Create” on your My Workspace page.
Choose “Form” and either select a pre-made Exit Interview Template from Jotform’s extensive library or start from scratch.
Decide on the layout: Classic Form (all questions on one page) for a comprehensive overview, or Card Form (one question per page) for a guided, conversational experience.

2. Customize the Form for Your Use Case:

Add your organization’s logo and update the form title to reflect the specific exit interview scenario (e.g., “Sales Department Exit Interview” or “Remote Employee Exit Survey”).
Use the drag-and-drop Form Builder to add or modify fields. Common fields include:
Employee name and position
Department and manager
Reason for leaving (multiple choice or open-ended)
Job satisfaction ratings
Feedback on management and workplace culture
Suggestions for improvement
Final comments and contact information
For specialized use cases, include fields relevant to the employee’s role or reason for departure (e.g., questions about remote work tools, project handover, or training experiences).

3. Enhance the Form with Widgets and Integrations:

Add widgets such as rating scales, long text fields, or e-signature fields for confidentiality agreements.
Integrate with HR management tools, cloud storage, or email platforms to automate data collection and follow-up.

4. Set Up Notifications and Data Management:

Configure autoresponder emails to confirm receipt of the exit interview to the departing employee.
Set up notification emails for HR or relevant managers to review submissions promptly.
Use Jotform Tables to organize, filter, and analyze responses for actionable insights.

5. Publish and Share the Form:

Click “Publish” and share the form link via email, internal HR portals, or direct message.
For remote or offsite employees, ensure the form is mobile-friendly and accessible from any device.

6. Test and Refine:

Preview the form and submit a test entry to ensure all fields function correctly and notifications are received.
Adjust questions or settings based on feedback from HR or recent exit interview participants.

By following these steps, you can create a tailored Exit Interview Template that streamlines the offboarding process, captures meaningful feedback, and supports continuous organizational improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an exit interview template?

An exit interview template is a standardized form used to collect feedback from employees who are leaving an organization, helping HR teams understand the reasons for departure and identify areas for improvement.

2. Why are exit interviews important?

Exit interviews provide valuable insights into workplace culture, management effectiveness, and employee satisfaction, enabling organizations to address issues and improve retention.

3. What information is typically included in an exit interview template?

Common fields include employee details, reasons for leaving, job satisfaction ratings, feedback on management and work environment, and suggestions for organizational improvement.

4. Are there different types of exit interview templates?

Yes, templates can be customized for different roles (e.g., interns, managers), departments, or specific exit scenarios such as remote work or contract completion.

5. Who should conduct exit interviews?

Exit interviews are typically conducted by HR professionals, department heads, or third-party consultants to ensure objectivity and confidentiality.

6. How is the privacy of exit interview responses maintained?

Responses are stored securely, and access is usually limited to authorized HR personnel. Jotform offers data encryption and compliance with privacy regulations to protect sensitive information.

7. Can exit interview templates be used for remote employees?

Absolutely. Online exit interview templates can be shared via email or secure links, making them ideal for remote or offsite employees.

8. What are the benefits of using a digital exit interview template over paper forms?

Digital templates streamline data collection, improve accuracy, enable real-time analysis, and make it easier to identify trends and take action on feedback.