Exit interviews, when done right, are opportunities that smart companies take advantage of. You can discuss the employee’s reason for departure, review what projects the employee had been working on, and even learn about what type of specific or confidential company information the employee may know. Good exit interviews can also help you determine any changes that need to be made to your organization.
“Exit interviews are a unique chance to survey and analyze the opinions of departing employees, who generally are more forthcoming, constructive and objective than employees still in their positions,” says Jessica Ford, director of sales and operations with Ashton Staffing. “Departing employees are liberated when leaving any organization, and provide a richer source of objective feedback than employed staff do when responding to normal staff attitude surveys.”
Smart Business spoke with Ford about conducting a successful exit interview, and effectively using that information.
What are some key things to cover in an exit interview?
Departing employees need to have a comfortable forum in which to reveal the full range of factors that led to their resignation. You should encourage departing employees to give an honest critique of expectations, conditions and requirements of their jobs.
Exit interviews can help you uncover the operational, organizational and personal variables affecting the employee’s decision to leave. This information is essential to highlighting the areas of perceived deficiency in the organization’s working environment, and can then be used to plan effective retention strategies and actions. Try to cover the following points.
- Identify what employees value most in the workplace.
- Identify the organization’s successes and failures.
- Identify specific management issues that may not be revealed during employment.
- Identify training resources and professional development needed for employees.
- Identify competitive advantages and disadvantages within your market.
