An exit interview template has two parts: a feedback form that HR uses to learn why people leave, and a knowledge handover section that the manager uses to keep the person's work running. Copy both below. Send the form ahead of time, then use it as the agenda for the conversation.
If you need more questions to choose from, see our full list of 55 exit interview questions.
Part A: Exit feedback form (for HR)
Tell the person at the start: "Your answers are reported to leadership in aggregate. Comments about individuals will not be shared with your team."
1. Details
| Field | Answer |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Role and team | |
| Manager | |
| Start date | |
| Last working day | |
| Interviewer | |
| Date of interview |
2. Main reasons for leaving (tick up to three)
- Career growth or promotion
- Pay or benefits
- Manager relationship
- Workload or hours
- Type of work no longer a fit
- Team or culture
- Flexibility, location or commute
- Personal or family reasons
- Studies
- Retirement
- Other: ______
3. Ratings (1 = very poor, 5 = excellent)
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity of role and expectations | |||||
| Tools and information to do the job | |||||
| Support from your manager | |||||
| Feedback and recognition | |||||
| Growth and learning | |||||
| Pay and benefits | |||||
| Workload | |||||
| Collaboration across teams | |||||
| How decisions were communicated | |||||
| Overall experience |
4. Open questions
- What made you start looking?
- What could have changed your decision, and when?
- What should we keep exactly as it is?
- What should we change before hiring for this role again?
- Anything else you want leadership to know?
5. Would you…
- Recommend us as an employer? Yes / No / Not sure
- Consider returning? Yes / No / Not sure
Part B: Knowledge handover (for the manager or successor)
Fill this in during two or three sessions early in the notice period. This part is shared with the team.
1. Open work
| Item | Real status | Next step | Due date | New owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2. Commitments not written down elsewhere
| Promised to | What | By when | New owner |
|---|---|---|---|
3. Recurring tasks and dates
| Task | How often | Next date | Where the instructions are |
|---|---|---|---|
4. Decisions to understand
| Decision | Why it was made | What was ruled out | Who else knows |
|---|---|---|---|
5. Key contacts
| Person or organization | Relationship | What they need to know | Introduction needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
6. Systems, files and access
| What | Where | Access to transfer (never write passwords here) |
|---|---|---|
7. Risks
- What breaks first if nobody picks this up?
- What should never be changed without asking? Ask whom?
- Which topics does only this person understand?
8. Sign-off
| Name | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaver | ||
| Successor | ||
| Manager |
How to use the template
- Send Part A three to five days before the interview.
- Start Part B the week notice is given. Do not leave it for the final days.
- Store Part B where the team works, not in HR's files.
- Check with the successor after 30 days: what was missing?
- Review Part A themes every quarter with leadership.
Tips for honest answers
- Use someone outside the reporting line for Part A.
- Ask "what would you change?" rather than "what was wrong?"
- Do not argue with answers. Thank the person and move on.
- Keep Part A and Part B separate, so feedback about a manager never sits in a shared document.
Where Reattend fits
In Reattend, exit interviews are answered in the desktop app and turned into a handoff document. Because the app has already been remembering the person's decisions, commitments and meeting notes, the handover starts from what actually happened rather than from memory. Leaders can also see which topics only that person holds. The template above works on paper, in a Word document or in any form tool.
Frequently asked questions
What should an exit interview template include?
Employee and role details, the reasons for leaving, ratings for role, manager, growth, pay and culture, open-ended feedback, and a separate knowledge handover section covering open work, processes, decisions, contacts and risks.
Should an exit interview be a form or a conversation?
Both. Send the form a few days before so the person can think, then use it as the agenda for a 30 to 45 minute conversation. Forms alone get short answers.
Is an exit interview mandatory?
Usually not. Make it voluntary and explain how answers are used. The knowledge handover, however, is normally part of the job during the notice period.
How do you analyze exit interview data?
Code each reason for leaving into a small set of categories, track them by team and quarter, and look at trends rather than single answers. Keep individual comments confidential.