Most large companies conduct exit interviews, but fewer than half report being satisfied with the results.
Exit interviews are important for several reasons. They can help a company find out why people leave, gather information that will help retain workers, improve company policies and procedures, and identify any unethical behavior.
When interviewing a departing employee, you should attempt to gain information about why the person is leaving, what could be done to keep workers, if the job training was adequate, ways to improve the company, how competitive the pay is, what the person liked and disliked about the job, and how the person found his or her new position.
As you gather data from many different exit interviews, there are patterns that should start to emerge. These patterns can point to actions that the company can take to solve problems. The solution may be better job training, mentoring, changing policies or hiring practices, or reviewing pay and benefits.
What often happens, however is that companies don’t follow up on the information they have collected. Here are a few tips on conducting effective exit interviews.
1.An independent interviewer
The interviewer should be someone who has had training in conducting exit interviews so that they’re able to do it effectively. Moreover, the person should be independent of the company
Training is necessary so that the interviewer knows how to establish a rapport with the employee. That way, the person will feel more comfortable and speak more freely about reasons for leaving and any dissatisfaction he or she has with the company. The interviewer needs to be a skilled listener and to know how to probe for answers with follow up questions.
It is also preferable that the interviewer not be connected to the company, which will also enable the employee to talk more openly.
2. Timing
The best time to do the interview is after the employee has left the company, if at all possible. Otherwise, the employee may again feel inhibited from speaking freely and giving honest answers. Also, during his or her final days at the company, the employee is caught up with many other tasks and activities and would not be in the best frame of mind for answering important questions.
3. Confidentiality
The employee needs to know that whatever is discussed during the interview is strictly confidential.
4. Inclusive
In order to get the most accurate picture of what is going on at the company, every employee who leaves should be interviewed.
5. Consistency.
For the same reason, interviewers need to ask every person the same questions.
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