Playbook Example

Exit Interview

Every HR team needs a standard exit interview process. So here's one that is fairly concise.

Notice the feedback that was provided by the Sanity Check... Comments that request more detail to help avoid questions down the road. Once those areas are corrected (you'll notice one issue has already been resolved if you click on "History"), this documentation will be super clear to the rest of the HR team.

Input:

This example playbook was created from this verbal description of the process:

Output:

The resulting playbook for this example is below.

You can explore the various features by clicking on the "edit", "feedback", and "history" buttons.

John Doe 2024-02-08

Exit Interview

This procedure outlines the steps to conduct an effective exit interview with departing employees in order to gather feedback, discuss logistics, and end the employment relationship on a positive note.

Step 1: Schedule Interview

Arrange the exit interview for a date close to, but not on, the employee's last working day to allow for potential follow-up.

It could be helpful to specify how far in advance the interview should be scheduled.

— PlaybookWriter

Step 2: Review History

Before the interview, review the departing employee's work history, including achievements, accolades, and any previous feedback from managers.

Step 3: Prepare Questions

Download the standardized set of questions from the company's share drive to ensure consistency in the interviews.

Clarification is needed on what to do if the standardized questions are not found on the share drive.

— PlaybookWriter

Step 4: Select Interviewer

Choose an HR representative who is not directly involved in the employee's daily tasks to conduct an unbiased interview.

Might benefit from a brief description of how to determine if the HR representative is 'not directly involved' with the employee.

— PlaybookWriter

Step 5: Ensure Privacy

Conduct the exit interview in a private office or conference room to make the departing employee feel comfortable discussing their thoughts.

Are there any contingency plans if a private space is not available on the selected day?

— PlaybookWriter

Step 6: Ask Openly

Use open-ended questions from the standardized list to elicit candid thoughts and feelings about the company and areas for improvement. Feel free to ask follow-up or clarifying questions as well.

Step 7: Listen and Note

Practice active listening and take detailed notes during the interview to accurately capture the employee's feedback.

Step 8: Discuss Logistics

Go over logistical details such as the return of company property, final paycheck, benefits termination date, and remind them of any post-employment obligations like NDAs.

Is there a checklist available to ensure all logistical details are covered?

— PlaybookWriter

Step 9: Express Gratitude

Thank the departing employee for their contributions, addressing any last-minute concerns, aiming to conclude the employment relationship amicably.

Are there guidelines on how to address any concerns the employee may present at this stage?

— PlaybookWriter

Step 10: Share Feedback

Document the interview feedback and share it with the relevant team to discuss and learn from it, identifying any patterns among recently departed employees.

How should the feedback be documented, and is there a standard format or template to use?

— PlaybookWriter

Step 11: Allow Follow-up

Leave an extra day after the interview for any additional follow-up that may be necessary, anticipating that the employee’s final workday might end early.

How should a follow-up be conducted if the employee leaves before the extra day provided for follow-ups?

— PlaybookWriter

General Notes

Standard Questions

Ensure that the set of standard questions is updated and accessible on the company's share drive.

Feedback Analysis

Regularly analyze exit interview feedback to identify systemic issues or trends that the company can address to improve the work environment.

Documentation

Keep detailed records of each exit interview to support the decision-making process and HR policies.

General Feedback

Is there a procedure for updating the set of standard questions, and who is responsible for that?

— PlaybookWriter

How frequently should the analysis of exit interview feedback occur?

— PlaybookWriter

What measures are in place to ensure confidentiality of the interview records?

— PlaybookWriter

Playbook Example

The above example lets you see the editing, change tracking, and sanity checking functionality, while a regular shared playbook would be restricted to read-only. To get rid of this example's commentary, you can also just view this playbook.

This is just one example of the many types of documentation that can be written by PlaybookWriter. Here are a few other relevant (or maybe not relevant) examples:

Processing Payroll Corporate Event Planning Monthly Sales Report View All Examples

Ready for the next step?

(No credit card required.)