The template asks for a name. Remove that question if you prefer anonymous answers, bearing in mind that with a small team, comments may identify the author anyway.

Is the leaver obliged to answer?

No. An exit interview is voluntary, and it works best when people feel safe being honest.

What should I do with the answers?

Look for patterns, share conclusions with the people who can act and follow up on real problems.

Hiring & HR

Exit interview form: why people leave and what to improve

People who are leaving often say what they would never say while employed. This form asks for a name and last working day, the reasons for leaving (career growth, salary, manager, culture, workload, relocation or other), ratings of manager support and culture, what they enjoyed most, what to improve and whether they would recommend you as an employer.

Use this template All templates

Who it is for

HR teams and owners of small businesses
Managers who want to learn from departures
Organisations tracking why staff and volunteers leave

When to use it

Offer it in the last week, once the handover is done, so the person can answer calmly. Cards show one question at a time, which keeps the tone gentle. Over several departures, the pattern of reasons is more informative than any single answer.

What the form asks

Questions

Your name · requiredShort text
Last working dayDate
Reasons for leaving · requiredCheckboxes
How supportive was your manager? · requiredScale
How would you rate the culture? · requiredScale
What did you enjoy most?Long text
What should we improve?Long text
Would you recommend us as an employer? · requiredYes / No

Every question can be changed, removed or reordered before you publish.

The PDF your respondents receive

Each response is saved as a PDF to keep with the leaver's file, or downloaded in a spreadsheet to count reasons across people. Handle the answers with care, as they can be sensitive.

First page of the sample PDF made by the Exit interview template, filled with invented data — A sample of the PDF this template produces, filled with invented data. Your logo, colours and wording replace the sample ones.

Questions people ask

Is it anonymous?: The template asks for a name. Remove that question if you prefer anonymous answers, bearing in mind that with a small team, comments may identify the author anyway.
Is the leaver obliged to answer?: No. An exit interview is voluntary, and it works best when people feel safe being honest.
What should I do with the answers?: Look for patterns, share conclusions with the people who can act and follow up on real problems.

Start from this template

Create an account, adapt the questions and the document to your business, then share the link. Your respondents get their PDF the moment they finish.

Use this template