Exit interviews are a valuable yet often underutilised tool for employers. Conducted when an employee is leaving the organisation, they offer businesses the opportunity to gather honest feedback about the employee experience and workplace culture.
In this article, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive guide to conducting exit interviews. Read on to learn more about the importance of exit interviews, best practices for conducting them and how to utilise feedback to make your company a better place to work.
What is an Exit Interview?
An exit interview is a formal conversation between an employee who is leaving and their employer, typically conducted by a member of the HR team. It is primarily used to understand the reasons behind the employee’s departure and gather valuable feedback on their experience within the company.
Exit interviews often result in more candid responses from the individual. Employees tend to feel freer to speak openly about their experiences and the factors that influenced their decision to leave, as they no longer fear repercussions.
They are not a legal requirement and, unless stated in the employment contract, employees are not required to attend. However, it is recommended that employers carry out exit interviews as a means of gathering feedback and allowing for future improvements that benefit both remaining and new staff.
Why Carry Out an Exit Interview?
Departing employees are often more candid in exit interviews than they might be while working for the company. Their honest feedback can uncover hidden issues related to management, company culture and workload that may otherwise go unnoticed.
By conducting an exit interview, employers can:
- Gain valuable insights: Conducting exit interviews allows you to gather constructive feedback and insights into how you can improve your workplace in the future.
- Maintain a good rapport: Maintaining a positive relationship with departing employees makes them feel valued and could even increase their chances of returning to the company at a later date.
- Improve employee retention: Acting on feedback provided in exit interviews allows you to find areas of improvement, enhance employee satisfaction and reduce the cost of employee turnover.
What to Ask in an Exit Interview
The questions you choose to ask in an exit interview will determine the quality of the feedback you receive. It’s recommended that you avoid leading questions and ask open-ended queries to give your employee the chance to answer truthfully.
You might consider asking the following questions to guide your conversation:
- What are your reasons for leaving the company?
- What makes your new position more suitable than your current one?
- What did you enjoy about working for the company?
- Did you get along with your colleagues?
- Is there anything you would change about the job?
- Did you feel valued by the company?
- How would you describe the company’s culture?
- How can we improve as a company?
Conducting an Effective Exit Interview
Preparation is key to ensuring that exit interviews are as productive as possible. Exit interviews are usually conducted on the employee’s last day of employment, so it’s best to schedule the interview a week in advance to allow the individual time to reflect on their experiences and have the feedback fresh in their mind.
Before conducting the interview, you should make yourself familiar with the employee’s role and responsibilities, especially if you are an external party. While the interview should feel conversational, it’s also helpful to prepare a list of open-ended questions in advance to ensure that the conversation covers all important topics and flows smoothly.
During the interview process, we recommend observing the following points to gather feedback effectively:
- Communicate in advance: Scheduling the interview in advance allows both you and your departing employee to prepare for the interview and come up with key talking points.
1. Meet in person: Conducting the interview in person emphasises the importance of the meeting. However, you can offer the individual the choice to talk over the phone if they would feel more comfortable doing so.
2. Choose a neutral interviewer: Allocating someone other than the line manager (such as an HR professional) to conduct the interview will make it easier for the individual to be honest with their feelings without fear of upsetting anybody. - Create a comfortable environment: Providing a safe space enables your employee to discuss their concerns openly and without judgement. Remind the individual that the conversation is confidential and ask if they are comfortable with specific feedback being shared.
- Practise active listening: While you’ll likely have a set of questions prepared, leaving space for the individual to express themselves freely is vital to ensuring they feel heard.
- Take notes for feedback: If the individual is happy for you to share feedback, it’s a good idea to note down what is discussed so that you can refer back and collate data later.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Exit Interviews
While exit interviews can provide valuable insights, certain mistakes can prevent employers from getting honest feedback from their employees.
Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for and how to avoid them:
- Asking about specific individuals: Avoid questions that focus on individual performance, as this can make the employee feel uncomfortable or put them in a difficult position. Try asking broader questions to ensure feedback remains focused on overall improvements.
- Addressing office gossip: Try not to ask the departing employee to comment on office drama, as it can undermine the professional nature of the interview and invalidate their feelings. A good question to ask instead is, “How do you think internal communication can be improved?”
- Providing your opinion: Resist the urge to share your own opinions, as this can discourage honesty and make the person less likely to open up. Focus on asking thoughtful follow-up questions and listening attentively to their perspective instead.
- Trying to change their mind: The purpose of the interview is to gather feedback on the individual’s experience, not to convince them to stay. Instead, try to understand what could have been done differently.
Expert Advice from The HR Department
Exit interviews are a powerful tool for understanding why employees leave and for finding ways to improve your organisation as a whole. Businesses that actively use this feedback will be better positioned to reduce employee turnover and create a positive work environment.
With services in employee engagement, feedback collection and strategic HR support, The HR Department can assist you in setting up and conducting effective exit interviews to improve employee retention and workplace culture.
Get in touch with our team today for professional support with exit interviews.