SOP interview sheet and checklist

A free, printable companion to How to write a standard operating procedure. The interview sheet gives you the questions to ask the person who does the job, their manager and the owner, with space to write your notes. The checklist makes sure your SOP has everything it needs. No email needed.

Print a fresh copy for each SOP you write.

SOP interview sheet

About this SOP

Job or task
SOP number
Interviewed by
Date

Opening questions, every level

1. What do you understand an SOP to be, and what do you think it is for?Then set it straight: it makes the job easier and results consistent, not a way to catch anyone out.

2. How do you feel about having this job written down?

The person who does the job

Name
Role

1. Talk me through the job, from the very first thing you do to the very last.

2. What do you need before you start: information, tools, materials, logins?

3. Which steps must be done exactly right, and where do you use your own judgement?

4. Where could a mistake be dangerous or costly?

5. Where does it usually go wrong or slow down?

6. What would a new person most likely get wrong?

7. Do you ever make mistakes on this job and not quite know why? If yes: tell me about the last time it happened.

8. What do you record or hand on when you have finished, and to whom?

9. Is there anything you do that is not written down anywhere?

10. If you could change one thing about how this job is done, what would it be?

The manager

Name
Role

1. What does a job well done look like to you?

2. How does this job help the business make money or keep customers?

3. What would a mistake here cost us, in money, time or reputation?

4. Where do you find yourself stepping in or correcting people?

5. Who is allowed to make decisions or exceptions in this job?

6. Is there anything you want done differently from how it is done now?

7. Having read the draft, does it meet your expectations?

The owner

Name

1. How do you see SOPs fitting into the way you run things?

2. What prompted you to want this written down?

3. What would make this worth the effort for you?

4. If this job went wrong on a bad day, what would worry you most?

5. Does the draft reflect how you want things done?

6. Who is best placed to keep this current?

7. How would you like the team to hear about it?

SOP-writing checklist

Before you start

Told the people involved what you are doing and why: to help them, not catch them out
Listed the laws, regulations, guidelines, industry rules and customer contract terms that apply
Decided how often to review it, based on what a mistake would cost

Gather the knowledge

Watched the job, or had the person talk you through it start to finish
Asked the interview questions at each level
Checked with an expert, regulation or manual where the doer’s knowledge runs out

Write it

Number and plain title that says what it does
Opening sentence saying what the SOP achieves
When it applies, and when it does not
Equipment, information and logins listed before the steps
Steps in order, first action to last, as short plain commands
Pitched at the reader’s level
Must-do steps clearly marked apart from helpful tips
Steps meet the law, regulations and guidelines, with the source named at the step where it matters
Safety or costly-mistake warnings at the top and at the step itself
A check that the job was done right before it is handed on
What records it produces and where they are kept
Background information and unusual words at the back
Owner named, plus “if anything here is wrong, tell the owner”
“If you get stuck, come back to me” line

Test and approve

Passed the new-starter test with the person who does the job
Approved by the manager
Signed off at the top

Keep it current

Version number and date on every page
Listed on your master document list
Old versions withdrawn
Kept where the work is done
Reviewed whenever the job, platform or a regulation changes

Ready to write? Our SOP Template gives you the layout, so your time goes into the content.