When an employee decides to leave the organization, it is critical to understand why they are leaving their present job. Many businesses hold an exit interview after the employee has served their notice period regarding their leaving the organization.
Employers can learn more about the reasons why an employee is leaving during this interaction. Employees, on the other hand, may provide honest comments and guidance to assist them to achieve better.
Importance of exit interview
Companies typically conduct departure interviews to learn why an employee is leaving and to hear their thoughts on their job, supervisors, organization, and other factors. A departure interview is a dialogue between the employer, most commonly an HR representative in charge of offboarding, and the employee.
Exit interviews, when performed properly, may provide employers with a thorough insight of their organization and aid in employee satisfaction and engagement. It is also an opportunity to hear from departing staff who are likely to deliver candid responses. Rather than current employees, who may be less comfortable speaking up.
Furthermore, recruitment is costly, and if a large number of individuals leave their jobs, action must be taken. Exit interviews are an excellent method to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. This can even improve business culture and employee satisfaction. Exit interviews can help you find trends that can help with business goals and how employees are viewed in the organization.
It is critical to approach a departure interview with optimism. It is usually preferable to terminate a job on a favorable note and retain a nice relationship with the employees. They could simply desire to return eventually.
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Ways to conduct an exit interview
An interview is given to every leaver
Every person who intends to quit is entitled to an exit interview. Some businesses will only do them with top performers and neglect others. Organizing departure interviews for only select workers sends a negative impression. This communicates to the rest of the firm that just a few people’s opinions are worth considering.
If the organization disregards the perspectives of the remaining leaving employees, it may leave a huge vacuum in comprehending the likely causes of turnover. Things will stay unknown and unresolved until inquiries are asked.
Select the appropriate procedure
Two approaches are possible when conducting an exit interview. One involves providing employees with a written questionnaire that can be less time-consuming, and the other involves having a one-to-one conversation.
Face-to-face communication may be more effective as it can lead to productive discussions, but either method can be used, where employees are provided with a form to fill out and their answers discussed.
Prior preparation is essential
Although exit interviews have been conducted by the company on a regular basis, it is crucial to be aware that every employee is different and preparation needs to be made individually. Ensure the employee is comfortable and keep the conversation as private and casual as possible. Make sure you are aware of the employee’s role and responsibilities and set up the conversation accordingly.
Decide what time is right for you
When the employee has 1 week to spare, schedule the exit interview around that time. Employees will provide a notice period as required. In this way, everyone gets a chance to discuss everything, and nobody is interrupted.
Set a convenient time for both the interviewer and the departing employee to meet and let departing employees know in advance that they will be interviewed. Ask the employee whether they are comfortable with the information being shared with higher management during the interview.
It is also a good practice to let the employee know the interview is confidential.
Establish a conversational framework
It is natural for an interviewer to want the conversation to lead to the topic that interests them. It may be especially true for someone who has a passion for the business and a desire to see positive changes. As much as you want to guide the interview, it is also important to listen to what the learner has to say.
By all means, guide the topic if it is relevant, but you must listen to what the learner has to say. It might lead to unexpected and surprising answers if the interviewer listens to what the employee says.
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Effective Exit Interview Questions
These exit interview questions will help you make the most of the interview.
- What made you decide to look for a new job?
- Reasons for leaving your company
- Do your supervisor and other leaders make you feel good about yourself?
- When you think about your job description today, do you feel that it has changed over time? If so, in what way?
- If your contribution was not sufficiently recognized by management, do you have any suggestions on how to make it more effective?
- Were you able to complete your work successfully due to the tools and resources available to you? If not, what was lacking?
- Is there any circumstance under which you would consider returning to the business?
- If you were asked to describe the culture of the company, what would you say?
- Please let us know what you think needs to be improved about the company.
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Final Thoughts
There is an important factor to consider when someone in your company is leaving. People rarely leave for irrational reasons. If someone leaves for this reason, it is likely that they have been feeling dissatisfied with their job for some time.
When employers conduct an exit interview, they can find out what motivates the existing employees to leave and what might influence them to stay. This gives them the opportunity to retain the best talent and attract more.
Attempting an exit interview will not be effective if it is forced and employees feel uncomfortable. In order to ease their minds, offer an alternative such as a questionnaire or a telephone interview after they leave.
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