Learn why people leave, what you could change and whether they would come back, with questions that get honest answers.
One exit interview tells a story; twenty show a pattern. Use the same questions every time and review the answers each quarter.
Keep answers confidential within HR, and separate the interview from final pay and paperwork.
14 items. Keep it on a tablet, or print a copy for the clipboard.
Over six months, seven of twelve leavers at a cleaning company mention last-minute schedule changes. The company starts publishing schedules two weeks ahead and tracks whether exits fall.
Turnover is expensive for small teams because each exit means recruiting, training and a period of lower output. Recording the same questions for every leaver lets you spot repeated causes, such as late schedule changes or pay gaps, and also flags complaints that the business is obliged to investigate.
| Role and tenure | Delivery driver, 14 months, Bayside Florist, Tampa |
|---|---|
| Main reason for leaving | Moving to a job with fixed weekday hours |
| Schedule fair and predictable? | No: holiday weeks changed with one day’s notice |
| Relationship with manager | Good; felt supported |
| Pay compared with market | About the same |
| What would have kept you? | A set schedule published two weeks ahead in peak seasons |
| Would you work here again? | Yes |
The leaver rates the manager well but schedule predictability poorly, which points the fix at holiday scheduling practice rather than at a person.
No, offer it; some people decline.
HR or a manager outside the employee’s line.
Either; a form gets more candid answers for some.
Look for patterns and act on them.
Most employers hold it in the final week, after the resignation is settled but before the last day, when the leaver is still on site and less rushed. Some also send a short follow-up a month or two later, when people are often more candid about their manager. Avoid the last hour of the last shift, when answers tend to be brief.
Tell the leaver who will see the answers before you start, and stick to it. A common approach is to share themes across several leavers with managers rather than passing on one person’s form word for word. If an answer reports harassment, discrimination or a safety problem, it must be acted on, so do not promise total confidentiality.
More for the same job
Run new hires through an onboarding track in EZTime, collect signed forms, and use the offboarding track when someone leaves. Book a demo if you want a walkthrough.