If not conducted properly, exit interviews can feel like a waste of time for both parties, especially if they are used to simply check a box in the offboarding process. So, what’s the goal of an exit interview? If conducted correctly, there are many benefits to exit interviews:

• Help identify trends in turnover. Exit interviews can provide valuable insights as to why employees are leaving the organization. Understanding these reasons can help the organization implement the necessary changes needed to improve employee retention.
• Identify areas of improvement in the organization. The feedback received in exit interviews can assist the organization in finding areas of improvement with policies and procedures, leadership development opportunities, and the overall culture of the company.
• Enhance employee morale and engagement. By taking exit interview feedback seriously, organizations show current employees they are committed to listening to concerns and taking necessary action for improvement.

Exit interviews should be structured to allow honest and valuable feedback about the company and that data should be analyzed, shared with internal stakeholders, and be followed up with meaningful action. Research shows the most honest feedback is received if the interviewer is not the employee’s direct supervisor as the direct supervisor could be the reason the employee is leaving the organization. An external consultant presents several advantages over an internal interviewer, including expertise with exit interviews and lack of bias.

The Employer Group can help you conduct exit interviews, analyze data received from the interviews, and assist with identifying paths to implement change to assist with retaining valuable employees.

 

 

This information does not constitute legal advice.