A well managed exit interview can provide many benefits to an organization when an employee resigns. To ensure the best outcomes from this process, a number of issues should be considered:

BENEFITS OF AN EXIT INTERVIEW

The benefits to be gained through an exit interview may include:

Parting with the employee on good terms. Gathering information about the efficacy of the recruitment process. Identifying possible areas for improvement in organizational processes, management, job design, remuneration or career planning and development. Identifying sources of job dissatisfaction. Establishing that the employee is leaving of his or her own accord and that there has been no employer breach of the employment contract.

The information gathered in the exit interview may be used by the organization to improve broader issues of concern-em such as perhaps high turnover low staff morale.

CONDUCTING AN EXIT INTERVIEW

Ensure the interview is carefully planned. Give consideration to when and where the interview is to occur, and communicate these intentions to the employee. Remember that the employee is under no obligation to participate in an exit interview.

Timing of the interview is important. It is generally beneficial to conduct the interview as soon as possible after the employer has been informed of the employee's decision. This sends a positive and potentially morale-boosting message to the employee and others within the organization that the employer is concerned enough about the resignation to discuss it as soon as possible. And if the employer so wishes, it also provides an opportunity to encourage the employee to review the decision to leave. Conducting an exit interview on the last day of employment or at a later date is not advisable-it is highly unlikely that the employee will participate seriously in an interview at this time.

Select an appropriate person to conduct the interview. The interviewer should be reasonably senior to give credit to the employee's opinions, and should be able to assess the value of the information gained and how it can be used. It is not appropriate for the immediate supervisor/manager or a representative from line management to conduct the interview, as this may impede open dialogue during the interview. In some cases, external consultants are used to conduct exit interviews.

Ensure the interview is handled with sensitivity. The aim of the exit interview is to obtain as much information as possible about why the employee is leaving, however the employee may not be willing or able to articulate the real reasons behind the decision. The employee may also be disgruntled and seek to attack the organization or particular individuals during the interview. It is important that the interviewer develops a rapport with the employee while also remaining emotionally neutral. The interviewer should acknowledge the opinions of the employee without attempting to defend or attack the organization, or pass comment or judgement on people or procedures in the organization. It is also critical that the employee be assured that all information gathered will be handled in a professional and confidential manner.

Consider what you are seeking to find out in the exit interview and structure your questions accordingly. Your aim is to learn what factors contributed to the resignation, and whether the recruitment process was adequate to begin with. Effective exit interviews will, for example, determine whether any of the following played a part in the employee's decision to leave:

- The level of induction and basic training received.
- Aspects of the job design or content.
- Aspects of organizational policy, procedures or conditions.
- Personal relationships or professional disagreements.
- A more attractive job offer.

This information should be assessed within the context of the recruitment process used to appoint the employee. Were unrealistic or inaccurate expectations established by either party during the selection process, and if so, how can this be avoided in future?

Conduct the interview in a professional manner. Ensure the venue selected provides privacy and that there are no interruptions during the interview. It may be beneficial to provide the employee with a copy of the general interview questions beforehand to help so s/he can think about meaningful reponses.

UTILIZING THE INFORMATION GATHERED

To be of long-term value to the organization, the information gathered during the exit interview should be collated, analyzed and retained. An effective means of retaining this important item of organizational intelligence is through the use of Termination Reports which summarize all information relevant to the termination of employment (including reasons for the termination, records of employment history and payment entitlements, etc.). The information gathered through the exit interview should be analyzed both as an individual response and within the context of other termination reports on the company's records. In this way, the organization has an opportunity to identify and address those areas within its operations that contribute to undesirable levels of employee turnover.





PESMC - Scottsdale
14350 North 87th Street, Suite 165, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
Phone (480) 368-0880 Fax (480) 315-8601