Exit interview survey template
One exit interview is an anecdote. Twenty of them, asked the same way, are a pattern. This template puts the reason for leaving and the ratings into fixed choices so that leavers can be compared, and leaves the open questions for the detail a choice cannot hold.
The survey beside this text is live. Fill it in and submit it — it validates exactly as it would for a real respondent, and saves nothing.
Single-choice answers that chart directly
The main reason is a radio question, so the Results tab shows a bar and a percentage per reason and highlights the most common one — no reading and re-coding of free text.
A follow-up that depends on the answer
When the reason is “A better offer elsewhere”, a question asks what the offer improved. Other leavers never see it.
A matrix for the things you can change
Role, manager, pay, growth and culture are rated in one table on a shared scale, which makes the weakest area visible across everyone who left.
No card required.
Exit Interview Survey
Live previewHow to use this template
5 steps in the editor. Nothing here needs a paid plan.
- Press “Use this template” and adjust the reasons for leaving to the ones you actually hear, keeping “Something else”.
- Keep the main reason as a single choice. A “tick all that apply” list tells you everything mattered a little, which is to say nothing.
- Send the link after the resignation is accepted and before the last day, while the person still has reason to be constructive.
- Leave results on “Only me” and decide in advance who else reads individual responses.
- Every quarter, open the Results tab: the bar chart on the main reason is the summary your leadership team needs.
Questions in this survey
7 questions, using 6 of the 24 question types available.
| Question | Question type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| What is the main reason you decided to leave? | Radio buttons | Yes |
| What did the other offer improve? | Checkboxes | Optional |
| How would you rate each of these during your time here? | Matrix grid | Yes |
| What could we have done to keep you? | Long text | Optional |
| Would you consider working here again? | Radio buttons | Yes |
| How likely are you to recommend us as a place to work? | Net Promoter Score | Optional |
| How long did you work here? | Dropdown | Optional |
What goes wrong with this survey
Specific to this template, not general advice about surveys.
Accepting “better opportunity” as the reason
It is the polite answer and it describes every departure. The follow-up question exists to find out what made the other offer better.
Asking on the last day
By then the person has mentally left and will tell you whatever ends the meeting soonest. Ask in the notice period.
Reading them one at a time
An individual exit survey invites you to explain it away. The value is in the aggregate, which is why the answers are structured.
Sharing a response with the leaver’s manager
If people learn that candid answers reach their manager verbatim, the next leaver will write nothing. Share themes, not quotes.
Questions about this survey
Should an exit survey replace the exit conversation?
No — it should come before it. The survey gives you comparable data and gives the leaver time to think; the conversation is where you ask about what they wrote.
Should the exit survey be anonymous?
It usually cannot be: you know who is leaving this month. Be honest about that, say who will read the answers, and keep them out of the reference process.
What is the most useful exit interview question?
“What is the main reason you decided to leave?” as a single choice, followed by “What could we have done to keep you?” as open text. The first is what you count; the second is what you act on.
Can I keep exit responses separate from other surveys?
Yes. Each survey has its own responses and results, and on a paid plan you can keep HR surveys in a separate organization workspace whose members are the only people with access.