Managers guide to exit interviews

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2026 Reviewed

The exit interview process is a valuable tool for making business improvements and retaining staff. This guide outlines the best practice for employers conducting exit interviews.

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Common mistakes Know what to avoid
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Managers guide to exit interviews

Exit interviews are a good method to get valuable feedback from workers before they leave your organisation. When it comes to departing a company, individuals may claim that they have obtained a better opportunity or that they just want a change. However, there is likely to be more helpful criticism lurking beneath the surface.

Some of the most typical causes for worker turnover are a salary increase, a promotion, further training, or a shorter commute. Whatever the reason, it's a good idea to have an open and honest talk about their experience in order to retain your employees in the future.

The advantages of exit interviews

Exit interviews provide various advantages for both employees and companies.

Advantages for employers

  • Improved comprehension of employee emotions.
  • Allows for the comparison of employee comments across teams through reporting.
  • Aids in evaluating their manager's competence and capabilities.
  • Identifies both the positive aspects and recurring problems within the business.
  • Helps to part on good terms (if there was any negative sentiment).
  • Long-term assistance in decreasing worker turnover.

Advantages for employees

  • Allows workers to express their opinions.
  • Gives a more pleasant conclusion to their experience (if there has been negatives).
  • It makes them feel appreciated as an employee.

Disadvantages of exit interviews

  • Employees may not be totally forthcoming (due to fear of burning bridges).
  • Exit interviews are useless unless they are properly followed up on.
  • If the reasons for their departure are unfavourable, the exit interview may be a difficult event.
  • Employees may be dissatisfied if they are not given the opportunity to submit feedback prior to leaving.

The ideal exit interview procedure

An exit interview can be conducted in a variety of ways.

The business should present several alternatives for the employee to choose from. In an ideal world, the employee would

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£12.99
Specifications
Access 12 months, with updates
Length 4 pages • 1,506 words
Jurisdiction England, Wales, Scotland
Based on UK law, ACAS guidance
Last update 01/10/2026
Update reason Structure update.
Next review 01/04/2027
Delivery & Format Instant digital delivery, .doc · .pdf · .txt · email

What is a managers guide to exit interviews?

Managers guide to exit interviews

This Managers guide to exit interviews aims to offer you a versatile and customisable tool, serving as a solid foundation for your needs. Utilise it to ensure consistency, enhance accuracy, and save valuable time.

Adapt it to suit your unique requirements, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in your HR processes.

You may also need these resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this in my small business?

Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.

Is it compliant with 2026 UK employment law?

Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.

Can I customise it for my organisation?

Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.

Do I get instant access to it?

Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.

What if I need more help, not just this template?

If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Managers guide to exit interviews, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.

Why should I use this Managers guide to exit interviews, and not AI to generate it?

AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.

How this content is developed and reviewed

The Managers guide to exit interviews is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.

About the author

Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director

Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.

He has extensive practical experience of managing exit interview HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.

HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.

Executive recommendation

"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."

"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."

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Ruth Brock Chief Executive Officer The Hygiene Bank
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