Restaurant Exit Interview Template
Confidential Employee Exit Interview
Employee Information:
Employee Name: ___________________________
Job Title/Position: ________________________
Department: FOH / BOH / Management (Circle one)
Employee ID: _____________________________
Date of Interview: _________________________
Interviewed By: ___________________________
Last Working Day: _________________________
Length of Employment: _____________________
Employment Status: Full-time / Part-time / Seasonal
Reason for Interview: Voluntary / Involuntary
Confidentiality Notice: This interview is confidential. Its purpose is to understand your experience working with us and to help improve the restaurant for current and future staff. Your honest feedback is appreciated and will be used constructively.
SECTION 1: DEPARTURE DETAILS
1. What is the primary reason for your decision to leave the restaurant?
(Check all that apply)
☐ New job opportunity (restaurant/hospitality)
☐ New job opportunity (different industry)
☐ Career advancement/promotion elsewhere
☐ Lack of advancement/growth opportunities here
☐ Scheduling conflicts/inflexibility
☐ Compensation (hourly wage)
☐ Tips/tip distribution issues
☐ Lack of benefits
☐ Workload/stress/burnout
☐ Management/supervision issues
☐ Work environment or culture
☐ Workplace safety concerns
☐ Lack of training/support
☐ Transportation/commute issues
☐ Personal/family reasons
☐ Relocation
☐ Returning to school
☐ Health reasons
☐ Retirement
☐ Other: _______________________
2. Was your decision to leave influenced by a single event or issue?
Yes
No If yes, please explain briefly: ________________________________
3. How long were you considering leaving before you gave notice?
Less than 1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
Over 6 months
4. Did you discuss your concerns with management before deciding to leave?
Yes
No. If not, why not? ________________________________
SECTION 2: JOB EXPERIENCE & TRAINING
1. How would you describe your overall experience working here?
☐ Excellent
☐ Good
☐ Fair
☐ Poor Please explain: ________________________________
2. What did you like most about your job?
3. What did you like least about your job?
4. Were your job responsibilities clear and realistic?
☐ Always
☐ Most of the time
☐ Occasionally
☐ Rarely
5. Did you feel you had the tools, resources, and support needed to succeed in your role?
☐ Yes
☐ No. If no, what was missing? ________________________________
6. Training & Development:
Did you receive adequate initial training? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Were ongoing training opportunities available? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Did you receive proper food safety training? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Were you trained on POS systems effectively? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Did you receive alcohol service training (if applicable)? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Were you cross-trained in different positions? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Rate the quality of training materials/methods: ☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐ Fair ☐ Poor
7. Was the workload reasonable for your position?
☐ Yes
☐ No If not, explain: ________________________________
8. Did you feel your skills and experience were utilized effectively?
☐ Yes
☐ No Comments: ________________________________
SECTION 3: RESTAURANT-SPECIFIC OPERATIONS
1. Kitchen Operations (BOH Staff):
Were health and safety protocols clearly communicated? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Did you have adequate prep time for your station? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Was the kitchen equipment properly maintained? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Were ingredients and supplies consistently available? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
How was communication between the kitchen and service staff? ☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐ Fair ☐ Poor ☐ N/A
Did you feel the kitchen was adequately staffed? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
2. Front of House Operations (FOH Staff):
Did you feel confident handling customer complaints? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Were you given authority to resolve guest issues? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
How was communication between the service and kitchen staff? ☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐ Fair ☐ Poor ☐ N/A
Were table sections/workloads distributed fairly? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Did you have adequate support staff (bussers, food runners)? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Were the reservation and seating systems effective? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
3. During busy periods (rushes), did you feel:
☐ Well-supported by the team
☐ Adequately staffed
☐ Overwhelmed
☐ Abandoned
4. Were health and safety standards consistently maintained?
☐ Yes
☐ No Comments: ________________________________
SECTION 4: MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION
1. How would you rate your relationship with your direct supervisor/manager?
☐ Excellent
☐ Good
☐ Fair
☐ Poor
2. Did management treat employees with fairness and respect?
☐ Always
☐ Most of the time
☐ Occasionally
☐ Rarely
3. Performance feedback:
Were reviews/feedback sessions helpful and constructive? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Never received feedback
Did managers provide coaching during shifts? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Were you recognized for good performance? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Did you receive constructive feedback when needed? ☐ Yes ☐ No
4. Did you feel comfortable raising concerns or ideas with your manager?
☐ Yes
☐ No, why or why not? ________________________________
5. Were management decisions communicated clearly?
☐ Yes
☐ No Comments: ________________________________
6. How could leadership improve the work environment or team support?
7. Did you feel management was accessible when needed? ☐ Yes ☐ No
SECTION 5: COMPENSATION, SCHEDULING & BENEFITS
1. How satisfied were you with the following?
Category | Very Satisfied | Satisfied | Neutral | Dissatisfied | Very Dissatisfied |
Hourly pay/salary | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Tips/tip pooling system | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Tip distribution fairness | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Schedule consistency | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Schedule flexibility | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Hours per week offered | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Time-off request process | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Staff meal policy | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Employee discounts | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Benefits (if applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
2. Scheduling specifics:
Were you given enough advance notice of schedule changes? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Could you easily find shift coverage when needed? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Were you pressured to work when you requested time off? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Were your availability preferences respected? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Did you receive adequate break time during shifts? ☐ Yes ☐ No
3. What changes (if any) would have convinced you to stay longer?
SECTION 6: WORKPLACE CULTURE & ENVIRONMENT
1. How would you describe the overall work culture?
☐ Positive and supportive
☐ Neutral
☐ Competitive but healthy
☐ Stressful
☐ Toxic or unmotivating Comments: ________________________________
2. Team dynamics:
Did you feel respected and included by your team members? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Was there good teamwork during busy periods? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Did FOH and BOH staff work well together? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Were new employees welcomed and integrated well? ☐ Yes ☐ No
3. Were there issues with favoritism, discrimination, or harassment during your time here?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Prefer not to say If yes, and you're comfortable, please elaborate: ________________________________
4. Did you feel the restaurant maintained professional standards?
☐ Yes
☐ No Comments: ________________________________
5. Were workplace policies clearly communicated and fairly enforced?
☐ Yes ☐ No
6. Did you feel comfortable reporting problems or concerns?
☐ Yes ☐ No
SECTION 7: GUEST SERVICE & RESTAURANT STANDARDS
1. Did you feel proud to work for this restaurant?
☐ Yes
☐ No, why or why not? ________________________________
2. Were you comfortable with the food quality and service standards?
☐ Yes
☐ No Comments: ________________________________
3. How well did the restaurant handle customer complaints?
☐ Very well
☐ Well
☐ Adequately
☐ Poorly
☐ Very poorly
4. Did you feel the restaurant's reputation in the community was positive?
☐ Yes
☐ No
5. Were cleanliness and sanitation standards consistently maintained?
☐ Yes
☐ No
SECTION 8: CAREER DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH
1. Were there opportunities for advancement within the restaurant?
☐ Yes ☐ No
2. Did management discuss your career goals with you? ☐ Yes ☐ No
3. Were you encouraged to develop new skills? ☐ Yes ☐ No
4. Did you feel your contributions were valued? ☐ Yes ☐ No
SECTION 9: FINAL THOUGHTS & RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Would you consider returning to work here in the future?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Maybe Why or why not? ________________________________
2. Would you recommend working here to a friend or family member?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Maybe Why or why not? ________________________________
3. What would you tell someone considering applying here?
4. If you could change one thing about this restaurant as an employer, what would it be?
5. What did we do well that you'd like to see continued?
6. Is there anything else you'd like to share that could help us improve as an employer?
FOLLOW-UP
1. Would you be willing to participate in a brief follow-up conversation in 3-6 months?
☐ Yes ☐ No
2. Preferred contact method for follow-up (if applicable):
☐ Phone ☐ Email ☐ Text Contact: ________________________________
3. May we contact you for reference purposes if former colleagues are interested in opportunities here?
☐ Yes ☐ No
SIGNATURES
Employee Signature (Optional):
Signature: _______________________
Date: ___________
Interviewer Signature:
Signature: _______________________
Date: ___________
MANAGEMENT USE ONLY
Interviewer Notes:
Key Themes/Patterns Identified:
Action Items for Management:
☐ _________________________________
☐ _________________________________
☐ _________________________________
☐ _________________________________
Priority Level: ☐ High ☐ Medium ☐ Low
Date for Management Review: ___________
Follow-up Actions Completed: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A Date: ___________
Exit Interview Summary Shared With:
☐ GM
☐ Owner
☐ HR
☐ Other: ___________