Are you ignoring the most powerful coach - exit interviews?

If you’ve ever quit a job, you’ve probably been asked this question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied were you with your role? Can you briefly explain your rating?”?

I bet you were stumped and just typed some random answer and left, right??

All I can say is: what a wasted opportunity!?

What purpose do such questions serve? They are scripted and superficial, they don't really care about the employee's experience, nor do they make any genuine attempt to understand the employee's perspective.

Imagine that during your exit interview, you mentioned that your manager often ignored your ideas. How would you feel if the response was, "Well, your manager has a lot on their plate. They probably had good reasons for that."??

If you share a negative experience and the Exit Interviewer becomes dismissive, it only creates an atmosphere of distrust and discourages any further honest feedback.?

Or, for instance, if you say you'd like to discuss some serious concerns about the work environment but your Exit Interviewer cannot guarantee confidentiality.... Would you really go ahead and share your concerns??

Or, if you say you didn't receive enough training to perform your job effectively, and your interviewer responds, "Okay, thank you for sharing." — it just feels like a slap in the face.?

Lost Opportunities

If the Exit Interviewer fails to ask follow-up questions to gain a deeper understanding of the employee's feedback, it can result in meaningless, superficial responses. Organizations must approach exit interviews as a valuable opportunity to gather feedback, address concerns, and learn from departing employees.?

With exit interviews, organizations can derive actionable insights and continuously improve the employee experience.

What is the context for exit interviews?

Have you ever conducted exit interviews with departing employees without any context? I have done that so many times in my previous workplace. It used to be put together at the last moment as a checklist activity, not as an activity to improve the employee experience.?

You should be clear on what you and the employee can gain from the exit interview process, but that is rarely the case.?

At Zuci Systems , we have always been conscious, right from the beginning, that we should not be doing exit interviews for the sake of it. We wanted to use the exit interview's findings, improvise, and help improve the employee experience. Here’s what we learned:

How should you go about exit interviews?

Treat the exit interview as a coaching opportunity. Organizations can not only gather valuable information but also support employee's growth and development. Consider a departing employee as an ambassador for your organization. How awesome would it be if she had nothing but good things to say about your organization??

Wouldn't that be the kind of “greatest place to work” that you want your organization to be??

Here are some practices you can follow:?

Supportive and confidential atmosphere

A simple introduction like this would go a long way: “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. We value your feedback and want to ensure a supportive environment. Your responses will be kept confidential. Is there anything you would like to share about your experience with the company?”

This question creates a safe space where they feel comfortable sharing their experiences, concerns, and suggestions.?

Encourage detailed responses

Could you please share some of your most positive experiences and how they contributed to your professional growth??

This open-ended question allows employees to provide comprehensive insights, examples, and suggestions.?

Focus on employees' strengths and accomplishments

What are some of your proudest accomplishments during your time here? How do you believe these achievements have impacted your professional development??

With this question, you acknowledge the employee's contributions and achievements during their tenure. Besides, you can guide them towards their future career endeavors with constructive feedback.?

Challenges and areas for improvement

Were there any specific challenges you encountered during your time here? How could those challenges be addressed to improve the overall employee experience??

This question helps identify systemic issues and provides an opportunity to address areas that may impact future employees.?

Guidance and resources for future growth

As you embark on the next career phase, is there any particular skill or area you'd like to focus on? We can provide resources or suggest training programs that might be helpful for you.?

How positive would that be! This would leave the departing employee with a warm glow, and they'd be your ambassadors for the rest of their life.?

Feedback on the organization's coaching and support

During your time here, did you feel adequately supported in terms of coaching and development? Do you have any suggestions for improving our coaching programs or support systems?

This question primarily encourages the departing employee to suggest how these processes can be enhanced to assist employees better.

Adopting the coaching approach can turn exit interviews into a valuable learning experience for both parties.

Exit interviews can be used to demonstrate a commitment to employee growth and allow departing employees to reflect on their own experiences while providing insights to improve the organization.?