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Exit Interviews: A 5 Point Plan to Getting Them Right
January 27, 2008

As a source to the media from time-to-time, I spend a fair amount of time talking to the press; and over the past few weeks I’ve noticed the prevalence of a few topics emerge.  This first was “Crying in the Workplace,” no doubt directly related to Hillary’s front-page tears.  But technically, that wasn’t really crying in the workplace.  Rather, it was more like misting up on-camera.  The other however, was the subject of exit interviews and their value, or lack thereof. 

It was as I read one journalist’s column this weekend in Canada’s Globe and Mail, that I began thinking about what an important, but often forgotten about tool the exit interview can be in managing human resources and stimulating organizational improvement. They are, and should be, intended to help inform better decisions for your company and its future.  But when deciding whether or not collecting feedback on the last day of someone’s employment makes sense for your business, the main thing to consider is if you will realistically do something with it.  Otherwise, it’s a complete waste of time.  The other thing to keep in mind is that the information employees give you when they walk out the door is data, just like any other information you’d collect doing research.  So unless you can build a research-type based system around the process, don’t bother.

If you do decide to execute an exit interview strategy, here are five tips which can make or break your effort. 

1. Establish a set series of questions, so that you collect consistent data.  Any comparisons of feedback need to be made on an “apples-to-apples” basis.
2. Divide your questions into categories like compensation, management, job satisfaction, development opportunities, work environment, etc…  Think of surveys you’ve taken in the past.  It’s the same idea.
3. Blend qualitative feedback with quantitative, but again make sure that the questions asked are consistent across the board.  Don’t forget to ask, “Why are you leaving?” and “What could/should we have done differently?”  But here you have to genuinely want to know the answer and be open and objective to whatever response you get.
4. Identify trends, themes and patterns and decide which are the most prevalent, relevant and serious.
5. Design programs that address any shortcomings in your ability to retain talented individuals and implement strategies that drive the necessary changes forward.

At the end of the day, at their maximum benefit, the information gleaned from exit interviews can help keep you from making the same mistakes twice, three times and more. 

Posted by Donna Flagg on January 27, 2008 | Comments (0)