When an employee hands in two weeks’ notice and makes it clear that they will be leaving for another job, it can feel like the end of the road. However, that is not entirely the case. There is still a little left to do— namely, the exit interview.
Exit interviews are a valuable tool for HR departments, but they are sadly underutilized. Some companies don’t conduct exit interviews at all, and others do, but only in the most surface-level ways. Instead of making those mistakes, you should try to do what you can to squeeze every ounce of value out of this critical moment.
Let’s review some of the key goals and strategies companies should implement through exit interviews.
The number of reasons why an employee might leave a specific job is vast, but there is still some value to identifying why a given employee has decided to hit the doors. It could be very personal to them such as relocating their family to another part of the country. However, it could also be something systemic within the company that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. In either case, you want to know what is going on.
If you discover that employees appear to be leaving because of a specific reason within the company that you have some power to change, then you should obviously do exactly that. It might turn out that there is something truly wrong with how the company has been run. If that is the case, then you have the opportunity to learn from what has happened and make corrections as necessary.
Another reason to hone in on the exit interview process is that you want to provide employees with the best possible experience. Information gleaned from employees as they exit the company can be used to transform the overall experience for everyone who works there by alerting you to specific pain points HR can resolve.
A few of the topics that often come up during exit interviews include the following:
Different themes might arise when you speak with your employees as they exit the company. Simply make sure you are taking the time necessary to have these types of conversations with them. You might be shocked to learn about the different types of concerns that may arise.
To some extent, the company’s reputation is on the line when an employee leaves. The reason for this is that the employee who exits might spread the word about how they were treated (good or bad). Therefore, you should try to understand how that employee feels about their experience when they exit the company.
An exit interview is a time when the employee may feel free to speak their mind openly and share their true feelings about their time with the company. They will have the opportunity to finally release any pent-up thoughts and let you know what they really felt about their time working there. You should use this information to craft a strategy for yourself regarding how you will work on improving employee experiences moving forward.
If you discover that there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the work experience, then you can work on getting ahead of this by being watchful for any reviews that might be left. Popular employer review websites such as Glassdoor are a popular place for former employees to vent their concerns. You should try to stay ahead of any negative reviews that might be left about the company.
Finally, another great reason to conduct exit interviews is simply because they continue to build trust and keep lines of communication open. Many employees might wonder if they can truly voice their feelings about the various things that they see happening at work. When they know that exit interviews are conducted, they will understand that you are doing everything that you can as an employer to ensure that employees are heard.
Remember, you are likely promoting open communication as an employer, and you want to ensure that you offer that kind of virtue all throughout the process.
An exit interview might be the end of the road for that specific employee’s time with the company, but those interviews still hold a wealth of valuable information within them. Make every effort that you possibly can to listen to what those employees are trying to tell you, and use the information that you gather to improve the work experience for all.
ABO is an IRS-certified PEO with the expertise to streamline HR processes and manage time-intensive tasks. By partnering with ABO, internal teams gain the freedom to focus on developing their staff and enhancing employee retention strategies.
When it comes to exit interviews, ABO can guide organizations in conducting meaningful and comprehensive interviews, ensuring accurate insights are captured. Furthermore, we can help implement key findings from these interviews, enabling companies to address systemic issues, improve employee experiences, and foster a more positive work culture to strengthen their HR practices and drive meaningful change to support long-term success.
Reach out today to learn more!