Exit survey guidance

This guidance outlines UCL's approach to exit surveys.

Contents

• Scope and purpose
• Online exit survey process
• Optional local department exit survey

Scope and purpose

1. UCL asks all employees to complete a 5 question online exit survey when they leave. The purpose of the exit survey is:

• to identify why employees leave UCL and take action where appropriate;
• enable UCL to provide accurate data to the Higher Education Statistics Agency regarding our staff. 

Online exit survey process

 2.  When the department submits a leaver notification via Departmental Transactions they will need to provide what the employee is going to do next (type of employer/retire etc) and which country they will be based in next. This information will be aggregated confidentially and used in our annual HESA return. HR Services will process the instruction and provide a leaver letter to the employee. The leaver letter will contain a link to the online survey, with an explanation of the access codes required to enter the system. 

3. Leavers will be asked the following questions:

• Their main reason for leaving
• Other reasons which contributed to their decision to leave
• Whether they recommend UCL as a good place to work

4. The exit survey data will be gathered and stored confidentially, in accordance with Data Protection requirements and the UCL Retention Schedule.  
5.  Once a year a report will be produced by Faculty / Division aggregating the responses in an anonymous format. 

Optional local department exit questionnaire.

6. In addition, a department may wish to gather more in-depth, locally based information and feedback about an employee's experience within the department, using the department exit questionnaire template.
7. Departments do not have to conduct local exit questionnaires, but if they choose to do so, they must use some, or all, of the questions on the template provided below.
8. Departments must not use their own question(s) unless they have been approved in writing by the HR Employment Policy team.
9. Departments can design how the questionnaire is issued, how the responses are collated and can automate the form. Thought must be given to how and if anonymous responses may be submitted.
10. The department questionnaire must not be sent out until the week before the employee leaves so that they have had the opportunity to complete the central survey.
11. Departmental exit data must be gathered and stored confidentially, in accordance with Data Protection requirements and the UCL Retention Schedule.  

HR Employment Policy Team
March 2025