{"id":15680,"date":"2023-02-09T08:58:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-09T08:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aluminati.net\/?p=15680"},"modified":"2023-02-15T14:05:56","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T14:05:56","slug":"exit-interview-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aluminati.net\/exit-interview-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices for Exit Interviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keen to learn about exit interview best practices, read on…<\/p>\n

Exit interviews are not mandatory, and many workplaces don\u2019t bother with them.<\/p>\n

However, others make them an integral part of the exit process for employees, and they can be treated as seriously as the job interviews that all candidates go through.<\/p>\n

Though \u2018entrance\u2019 interviews are ubiquitous across the labor landscape\u2014even newer, unconventional workplaces that \u2018don\u2019t like interviews\u2019 have them in some form\u2014exit interviews don\u2019t enjoy the same widespread usage.<\/p>\n

Still, knowing exit interview best practices can ensure you handle these scenarios well if you find yourself in one.<\/p>\n

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Exit interview best practices matter for both sides of the coin<\/h2>\n

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First things first: let\u2019s not forget that an exit interview<\/a> work both ways.<\/p>\n

They need to be as useful for the employee as they are for the employer. What this means is that to make an exit interview really \u2018work\u2019, it can\u2019t just be a string of questions for the employee with no room for their own input.<\/p>\n

The process needs to work for both sides, and this demands different circumstances for each (which can luckily coexist in the same interview).<\/p>\n

Employer<\/u><\/h4>\n

A successful exit interview for an employer involves getting as deep a view as possible into an employee\u2019s time with an organization. The questions should give plenty of room for their opinions without judgement.<\/p>\n

However, while the employee needs to be given room to express thoughts on their time in their role, the employer needs to maintain overall control. Ideally, it shouldn\u2019t be used as an opportunity to air dirty laundry and make a dramatic exit.<\/p>\n

Expectations should be set and managed going into the interview, ensuring that everybody is on the same page. To help with this, it may be beneficial to set some ground rules at the start.<\/p>\n

Employee<\/u><\/h4>\n

On the employee\u2019s side, an exit interview needs to give them a chance to speak their truth and be as open as possible\u2014perhaps even resolve past conflicts and tie up loose ends.<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve said, this isn\u2019t a chance for the employee to come in guns blazing. Not only would that be unprofessional and inappropriate for the context, it also risks burning some major bridges in your career.<\/p>\n

Younger and more inexperienced workers might not have the wherewithal to understand when they\u2019re doing this, so strong guidance may be needed in an exit interview to save some people from themselves!<\/p>\n

For an exit interview to work for the soon-to-be-ex-employee, it needs to present a genuine opportunity to share what has worked and what hasn\u2019t; the aspects of the role that made them happy and the things that could and should have been improved.<\/p>\n

You may elect not to deliver an exit interview face-to-face, and instead book it using a networking platform designed for the workplace.<\/p>\n

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How do exit interviews help retain team members?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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It might seem counterintuitive to say that something conducted on exiting employees could help with retention, but it makes sense if you look at the bigger picture.<\/p>\n

There may be little you can do to keep an employee who\u2019s firmly on their way out, but the lessons learned from exit interviews are ideally applied in the business moving forward.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you have three employees in a large company leaving within the space of several months, and you conduct exit interviews with each. One has no complaints about their role and is just moving for a better salary.<\/p>\n

The other two, however, have had issues. One employee feels that they were too micromanaged<\/a>, and the other employee feels that they were always trying to please someone else in their work, rather than pursuing what they felt was best.<\/p>\n

While slightly different in phrasing and approach, these two complaints stem from a common issue that can then be addressed by the workplace. From here, the organization\u2019s leaders can dig further and find out if other employee\u2019s have similar feelings.<\/p>\n

This can unearth silent problems at the foundations of your business. Just because nobody talks about an issue out loud, doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not being felt by many.<\/p>\n

Showing a willingness to identify these problems out and open dialogues up about them proves to your staff that you\u2019re willing to improve and to listen. This builds respect and ultimately helps you hold on to your staff better.<\/p>\n

\"exit<\/p>\n

Exit interview best practices – questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Choosing the right questions is a big part of what separates a successful exit interview from a bad one. Your questions have a difficult balance to meet: being incisive, fair, and appropriately open-ended without being too personal, leading, or numerous.<\/p>\n

Open questions are best for getting the unique viewpoints of your employee, such as:<\/p>\n