Exit Interview: Are you crying over spilled milk?

Many professionals have left or are thinking of leaving their company due to toxic culture or burnout. Though the pandemic may not have changed the company's culture in a matter of months, what it probably did was to amplify pre-existing toxic conditions - whether in the company or maybe an individual's own ways of working.?

Last week, I posted this poll on Linkedin:

?"When leaving a company due to toxic culture or burnout, how honest should you be during your exit interview?"

After running the poll for a week, the results do not show significant strong inclination towards a single option. At the end of the day, the winning answer still seems to be "It depends." But allow me to break down some key takeaways from the awesome contributors.?

Nip it in the bud

They say that a healthy immune system is our best defense against virus. Same goes for anything that's toxic. Like I said earlier in this post, the culture would not have changed just because of the pandemic (It may be a contributor, but it's not the only thing). It is likely that whatever has been burning you out has already been there pre-pandemic. Whether it's micromanagement from your boss, your own tendency to reply within 30 seconds to every single message you receive, your team's 2-hour weekly meetings with no clear agenda or outcome, the expectations you have of yourself, etc.?

So if you're already seeing early signs and symptoms of a toxic environment, engage in a healthy conversation about it. And no, I don't mean a ranting session with your peers, but a feedback session with your boss or your HR. Like I shared with?Nidhi Raina, communicating clearly and in a timely manner is very important. Feedback (good or bad) will bear fruit only when we allow it to. This is true both to the giver and the receiver. So if there's something that doesn't seem quite right, bring it up and it would be great if you have suggested actions too. That way, you become part of the solution and you enjoy the fruits of the feedback too.

As?David Wee?put it, "wouldn't it make more sense to have this interview before people resign?" So yes, if you're in a position that can influence this change, do consider getting feedback and please be objective as you receive them.

Honesty is the best policy, but…

The poll results show that?close to 70%?out of the 600+ respondents would actually?tell??- either all of it or some of it. Some of those who responded to the poll shared that telling is for the benefit of friends and colleagues you left behind. But whatever reason you have for telling, our contributors have shared these reminders:

"Only if u fundamentally believe there is a chance that you can make a difference for the people who are staying" - John Lo?

"Don’t burn bridges. People come and go, but HR and exit interview notes are forever."?- Jamie Lee

"I'll be more inclined to tell 'some' of it - will be dependent on the feedback and exit interviewer." - Mar Allan Castano

Make the exit interview sincere and intentional

Many of those who said that telling is pointless shared two common reasons for it. One is that the exit interview is just about ticking the box (i.e. getting it done for the sake of getting it done), and second is the potential risks to the departing employee (retaliation, perhaps?).?

So this part here goes to HR and managers who are involved in the process. Being more sincere and intentional in conducting the exit interview can be more beneficial for both the company, its existing employees and the exiting employee. More than just reporting it as statistics on "reasons for leaving" in your next HR report, use it to look into what's working and what's not working, and actually do something about it.?

Final Note

Culture is collective. Culture is shared. It takes more than exit interviews or even quarterly training programs to create, change or re-shape. But one brave bold soul speaking up and taking action can create a ripple effect to start this change

#humanresources #exitinterview #careerstrategy #careercoach