MASTERING EXIST INTERVIEW PROCESS

 

A Private Limited Company which is the market leader in providing industrial flooring services in Sri Lanka employs around 70 people. One of the burning issues they have is the high turnover of Production Operators. As they cannot meet the requirement of the Operators, every month they need to hire external laborers from a Manpower company where the cost is relatively high when compared to internal workforce cost. They wanted to find out the reasons for the high turnover and identified exit interviews can be used to collect much information regarding this issue. They have never conducted any exit interviews in the past. This blog will be useful to companies like them to master the exit interview process.

Introduction to Exit Interviews

An exit interview can be identified as the final interview conducted by an organization with the departing employees. Normally this will be conducted by a line Manager or a representative from the HR department. When effectively planned and designed this can be used as a tool to improve company performance and to retain talented employees.

“In today’s knowledge economy, skilled employees are the asset that drives organizational success. Thus companies must learn from them—why they stay, why they leave, and how the organization needs to change. A thoughtful exit-interview (EI) process can create a constant flow of feedback on all three fronts” (Spain & Groysberg, 2016).

As per the research done on exit interviews, it was identified the Managers act as following on the results obtained from exit interviews.

Update job description	29%
Discuss feedback regarding Management	24%
Make changes to work environment/corporate culture	22%
Review employee salaries	19%
Review employee benefits	6%
Total	100%

But the following can be identified as the purposes of conducting Exit interviews in a company.

Purposes of conducting exit interviews

The companies can mainly conduct exit interviews for two main reasons as gathering feedback from leaving employees and collecting insights for improvements. Based on these 02 factors we can identify the following purposes or importance of having exit interviews.

1. To retain skilled employees- Through exit interviews we get the chance to identify the root causes for employee resignation and can pay attention to take corrective action. If we can retain the skillful employees, it will provide the company a competitive advantage.

2.  To gain employee retention insights- Understanding the reasons employees choose to leave can provide insights into factors that contribute to employee retention. Organizations can use this information to refine their strategies for talent acquisition, onboarding, and career development, ultimately increasing employee retention rates.

3.  To improve organizational culture- Through feedback from the departing employees, information can be gathered relevant to the areas that need to be improved relevant to organizational culture.

4.  To gain an understanding of the Manager’s Leadership styles and effectiveness- Through the leaving employees we can gather an understanding on the effectiveness of leadership and management within the company. Based on this data we can identify the requirements for additional training or leadership development programs.

5.   Legal Compliance and Risk Management- Exit interviews help ensure that the departure process is conducted in a fair and legally compliant manner. It provides an opportunity for employees to voice concerns without fear of retaliation, and it allows organizations to address any issues that might pose legal risks if left unaddressed.

6.   Understand the employee perception of work- This will help to gain insights on working conditions, colleagues, and other factors. Also exit interviews will help to improve the perception of the existing employees by demonstrating the commitment to care about their employees, even in departure process.

7.  To create lifelong ambassadors for the company- If the departing employees were treated with respect and gratitude, they will pass the goodwill to potential employees and customers. A positive exit experience, where employees feel heard and respected, can contribute to a positive perception of the company even after departure.

When? and How? to conduct exit interviews

The best time to conduct an exit interview may vary depending on the individual circumstances and the organizational practices. However, as per the expert views the best time is halfway between the time of resignation submission and the last working day. As the time has passed from the resignation given date the employee may face it with moderate emotions. Further, conducting an exit interview after one or two months from departure may also provide additional insights into the employee’s experience.

Following methods can be used to conduct exit interviews-

1	Face to face interviews	This method will allow more personal and interactive conversation with the ability to go in to deeper details of employee feedback
2	Phone Interviews	When face-to-face interviews are not feasible, we can undertake this method. Provides real time communication and allow follow-up questions
3	Structured Questionnaires or Surveys	Providing departing employees with a structured questionnaire or survey can be an efficient way to gather feedback. This method allows for standardized data collection and analysis. Can focus on various aspects of employee satisfaction
4	Online surveys	Using online survey platforms can streamline the exit interview process, especially for large organizations or remote employees. The survey can be customized using multiple-choice and open-ended questions
5	Third party Interviews	Employing a third-party, such as a consultant or HR specialist, to conduct exit interviews can help ensure impartiality and confidentiality. Employees may feel more comfortable sharing sensitive information with someone outside the organization.
6	Post exit surveys	Having exit interviews a few months of departure. This will help to gather information not collectible during the immediate exit process

Effective questions to be asked in an Exit Interview

There are many standard questions that can be asked by a departing employee. But if we ask the same direct questions, the probability of getting the right and honest answers will be low. Therefore, we can ask the following kinds of questions which encourage the employees to express themselves better

1.     How long have you been looking for a job?

2.    How do you compare your new job with the current job?

3.    What led you to take this decision to leave?

4.    Did you receive the support and right working environment?

5.    What we could have done to make you stay?

6.    Have you shared your concerns with anyone?

7.    What would you really miss about the company?

8.    Would you like to be re-employed here?

9.    Would you recommend the company to a friend?

Please check the following video to get a full understanding on the exit interview questions and information can be collected from them:

Challenges in conducting exit interviews-

1.    Lack of honest feedback- Employees may be reluctant to provide honest feedback or sincere criticisms if they feel like they will face unwelcome consequences if they have already secured a good job. Also, they may want to maintain a positive relationship with their past colleagues and superiors.

2.    Timing Issues- Scheduling exit interviews at a convenient time for both the departing employee and the interviewer can be challenging.

3.    Standardized Questions- Using rigid or generic questions may not give the expected results from an exit interview. Interviewers may change the questions according to circumstances and the departing employee.

4.    Inadequate Preparation- Interviewers who are not adequately trained or prepared may fail to create an environment conducive to open communication. This can result in missed opportunities to gather valuable information.

5.    Ineffective Communication of Purpose- If the purpose of the exit interview is not clearly communicated to the departing employee, they may not understand the significance of providing honest and constructive feedback.

6.    Doubt on confidentiality of the given information- Employees may hesitate to share certain concerns if they believe their feedback won't be kept confidential.

7.    Limited Action on Feedback- If employees perceive that their feedback doesn't lead to tangible changes within the organization, they may be less motivated to provide detailed insights in exit interviews.

 

Current Trends and Innovations of Exit interviews-

Technology Integrations- Online platforms, surveys and automated interview system are used to improve the efficiency and quality of output.

Real-time feedback- Regular check-ins or pulse surveys during an employee’s tenure

Data analytics and predictive modeling tools- to identify the trends and correlations.

Anonymous reporting- allows departing employees to share their thoughts without fear of retaliation, leading to more candid insights.

Customized Questionnaires- To suit the employee and the situation.

Employee Journey Mapping- understanding employee journey from recruitment to departure to understand the areas of development

Best practices for effective exit interviews

1.    It is better if we can conduct several exit interviews to get more information.

2.    Face to face interviews will be more effective when compared to other methods.

3.    A combination of structured and unstructured exit interviews will provide more insights.

4.    The interviewer needs to listen more than they talk, avoid displaying authority, be friendly and occasionally ask open-ended questions.

5.    Assure full confidentiality to the employee on the information provided.

6.    Not involving indirect or direct Supervisors to the exit interview

7.    An exit interview should occur in a separate meeting room with a positive atmosphere which will help the employee to open-up more.

Analyze findings and what HR can do

HR department has the responsibility to gather the data from exit interviews and to do the required analysis. Also, they need to focus on securing the confidentiality of the gathered data. When the data is gathered, they need to analyze in detail to identify the prevailing negative points in the HR Management process in the company. These negative points need to be evaluated, Share with the appropriate people and need to take corrective actions. The company can benchmark these areas against industry standards and take actions to revise policies within the organization. But also in the same time these developments need to be continuously monitored and improvements to be made.

Conclusion 

Exit interviews can be considered as invaluable tools for organizations seeking to enhance their workplace dynamics and employee satisfaction. The candid feedback provided by departing employees unveils critical insights into areas of improvement, allowing companies to evolve and adapt to the changing needs and expectations of their workforce. When a company uses an Exit interview not just as a formality but as a strategic tool many positive results can be achieved within the company. This will ultimately create a competitive advantage and also long-term success.

Exit interviews, when approached thoughtfully, become a bridge between the past and the future, helping organizations navigate the complexities of employee engagement and retention with insight and foresight.

The EI should be the culmination of a series of regular retention conversations with employees focused on organizational learning and relationship building. It should not be the first conversation a company has with an employee about his or her feelings and ideas.  (Spain & Groysberg, 2016)

Madusha Perera
08 December 2023

References

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[Accessed 20 November 2023].

Spain, E. & Groysberg, B., 2016. Making Exit Interviews Count. Harvard Business Review, 1(1), p. 4.

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Available at: https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/249/the-ultimate-guide-for-conducting-effective-exit-interviews

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