Unlocking Insights With Exit Interviews

As I was curious to know if people had been asked to do an exit interview when departing from previous employers, I ran a poll which provided some interesting and insightful information into leadership, HR departments and employee experiences with organizations.

Of over 4,400 responses, there was a resounding “no” from 59% of respondents, while 26% said “yes” and 16% said “only for some”.?

From the feedback received, there was clearly a lack of consistency when it comes to exit interviews and how these interviews were done.? What was even more interesting, was the additional information some respondents shared.? Below, are just a few examples:

• Some respondents were told that their company did exit interviews, however they were not contacted.? One of these individuals felt that the reason for her not being contacted was that the company did not want to hear more about the manager who had been harassing her and how nothing had been done to address some of the toxic management issues.
• Another respondent shared that the company they worked for used a 3rd party to conduct the exit interviews.
• Other respondents shared that they were sent a survey to fill in, which was rather impersonal and provided no opportunity to speak with anyone to discuss their feedback further.
• Another shared that they requested an exit interview but were never “granted” one, while another person shared that they were basically ignored until their departure date.
• Other respondents felt that exit interviews were generally a waste of time, with one person considering it a “box ticking” exercise.?
• Another felt that the HR department did not have the authority to implement the relevant changes they were receiving feedback on.
• One respondent felt there was rarely a “real conversation” where the company would truly listen to concerns and problems that the exiting employee had observed or experienced.? He felt that exit interviews should be a “valued part of any and all human resources data and metrics”.? Furthermore, he made a compelling argument when he stated, “how else are those in human resources able to understand why retention is down or how a specific supervisor, manager, or CEO is working out?”

A generation or so ago, it was common for employees to be with a company for most of their working life, to retire with that company and be recognized for decades of service.? Over the years, this has changed as organizations have frequently downsized or restructured.? It has become increasingly common to hear of layoffs, and increasingly uncommon to hear of employees celebrating their lifetime of service.?

As a result, many employees may not be as loyal to their employers as they do not feel safe or valued.? For this reason, I believe it is essential for leadership and HR departments to do all they can to attract and retain talent.? If valuable time is spent in hiring, training and developing an employee, why not spend the additional time in finding out what their employment experience was like?

Employees get to see and experience, on a daily basis, whether an organization is actually living its stated values or just paying lip service to them.??

Exit interviews are a litmus test to find out if an organization is staying on course and true to its stated values.? It requires strong leadership and an open mind to create a safe space for departing employees to provide honest and open feedback, which may shine a light on existing challenges, blind spots and opportunities for improvement.?

These interviews can be uncomfortable, for both the interviewer and the interviewee, and are probably more easily ignored than conducted.? However difficult they may be, they provide feedback which is essential for the continual improvement of policies, procedures and the overall culture of the company.??

How do you know how you are doing, if you do not ask?

Each exit interview may provide a golden nugget that may be the difference between attracting the next talent or retaining an employee.? If an organization is truly embracing exit interviews, they may start to find a common theme as to why employees are leaving and be able to address this before the morale of the existing employees further declines and more talent leaves.

Your employees are essential to the continued success of your business.? Exit interviews can provide interesting and insightful information, which the leadership would do well to listen to.? Exit interviews, when done properly, help people feel heard and acknowledged.? Exit interviews can make a difference.

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