Exit Interviews: Worthwhile When Done Well

The exit interview is an interview given to a departing employee – usually one that has voluntarily resigned instead of those that are fired or are restructured out of a job.

The exit interview can be conducted any time after an employee has given notice of resignation, whether verbal or in writing. Exit interviews offer a once-only opportunity to find out information that otherwise might be more difficult or impossible to obtain.

Typical reasons why companies conduct exit interviews include:

• To learn the reasons why employees are leaving
• To take corrective action that will reduce turnover
• To improve company performance by improving employee productivity
• To improve satisfaction among the remaining employees

An exit interview has the possibility to provide the company with valuable feedback about the working environment, the terms and conditions offered to employees, whether there are any systems or procedures that need revision or adoption, and the level of morale (or lack of it) at the office.

Since the employee is leaving, they will often be more open and frank in their discussions about the company.

Effective exit interviews can provide information about internal problems so that corrective action can be taken before a problem becomes more serious. They enable employers to receive early warnings of any emerging regulatory, ethical or legal issues deserving attention before a problem becomes the subject of outside investigation or litigation.

Some of the Challenges

The decision to quit a job is personal and often very complex. Any comments a departing employee makes – whether they are positive or negative – have the potential to be based on emotions rather than objective perceptions.

A departing employee might be polite to avoid burning bridges or due to a desire for a good reference the next time they’re looking for a job. They could be voicing exaggerated complaints because they’re in an emotional turmoil.

The exit interview has to be handled carefully. It should be conducted by an expert in the area of human relations and can be costly for a small business as a result.

What Sort of Interview Should You Conduct?

Interviews can be conducted orally or written. An oral interview conducted by an HR professional is likely to yield the best results.

The structure should be progressive with the hardest questions toward the later part of the interview. Be prepared for some surprises. Some unexpected facts usually emerge during an exit interview and not all will be positive or pleasant.

The interviewer must be someone that listens well and will be scrupulously fair in their treatment of the subject. It serves no purpose for the interviewer to get into an argument with the departing employee.

Use some open-ended questions that allow for plenty of expression. An example of this could be “how do you feel about our management style?” or “do you think we do anything especially well?”.

Ask at some point in the interview “could you please just tell me in your own words why are you leaving?” The person might have thought more about the reasons for their departure in the time since giving their original notice.

Try to find out if there were things the departing employee would suggest that would improve conditions, productivity or morale.

And finally, make use of the information gathered. If you do not use this information then why do an exit interview in the first place?

What Questions can be Asked?

The exit interview is there so that the company can ask questions to find out why an employee has chosen to leave it. As a result of the employee’s answers the company may decide to change things to make sure that they keep their employees happier at work.

The following questions or some version of them are often asked:

•  What factors have led you to decide to leave the company?
•  What factors were most important in choosing your new job?
•  What are your views on the management?
•  What is the management doing right (or wrong?)
•  Did you feel you were given enough support in your job?
•  What did you like most about the company and what did you like the least?
•  What are your views on the way we treat our employees?
•  How could we improve effectiveness and morale?

Remember that an employee is under no obligation to divulge personal information such as their views on their manager or their colleagues, or about any personal problems they have experienced with anyone in the company.

Here’s a final thought. If you think the information an exit interview provides would be useful, then why not ask every employee those questions every six months or so – not just when they resign.

It can be arranged through an impersonal third party specializing in HR and the insights you gain can then be used to help all employees and your company as well.

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Copyright 2003, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com.