Exit Interviews & Knowledge Transfer
Departing employees have something unique: perspective. If you don’t ask, you don’t learn. If you don’t capture, you lose.
When someone leaves, it’s tempting to just process the paperwork and move on.
But their perspective — and what they know — may be exactly what your team needs to grow.
Handled well, exit interviews and knowledge transfer create insight, continuity, and even gratitude.
What Is an Exit Interview?
It’s not therapy. It’s not PR. It’s a learning opportunity.
Exit Interview Goals
- Understand push and pull factors
- Identify recurring issues or blind spots
- Improve management and culture
- Strengthen retention strategies
- Create closure and mutual respect
What to Ask
Key areas to explore:
- Reason for leaving (and what might’ve changed it)
- Experience with manager and team
- Tools, workload, communication
- Career progression and development
- Suggestions for the role or company
Who Should Conduct the Interview?
Ideally:
- HR team member not directly connected to the role
- Trusted neutral leader or third party (for senior or sensitive cases)
Avoid:
- Direct managers
- Peers
- Legal (unless risk involved)
When to Conduct It
- Within final 1–5 days of work
- Not immediately after notice — emotions are fresh
- Optionally: post-exit follow-up (1–2 months later)
Documenting and Using the Data
- Store securely and anonymously (unless critical)
- Share trends, not quotes
- Create monthly or quarterly feedback reviews
- Include in DEI, engagement, and manager coaching loops
What Is Knowledge Transfer?
This can include:
- Project status and documentation
- Key contacts and stakeholders
- Critical systems access and credentials
- Personal workflows or shortcuts
- Cultural and political context
How to Do It Well
- Assign a knowledge buddy or successor early
- Use templates or checklists
- Record walk-throughs or screen shares
- Shadowing for 1–2 weeks (if possible)
- Combine docs with live Q&A
Common Pitfalls
- Leaving handover to the last day
- Focusing only on tech/process, not relationships
- Assuming someone else will “figure it out”
- No documentation of the handover
Final Thought
People leave — but their insight doesn’t have to.
Ask, listen, and capture what matters before it walks out the door.
📌 Next page: Lifecycle Analytics & Continuous Improvement – How to use data from across the lifecycle to refine your people strategy.
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