An exit interview can be a very valuable exercise for companies when carried out correctly. Yet a recent survey found more than half of employers do not carry out exit interviews.

What is an Exit Interview?

An exit interview involves a conversation between the employee that is leaving and their manager, or a member of staff from HR.  The conversation is to determine the reasons behind the employee’s decision to leave the company and to gain an understanding of what their experience of working for the company was like.

When should you carry out an Exit Interview?

Ideally an exit interview should be carried out on the employees last day, or if this isn’t possible, a few days before they leave.

What makes an Exit Interview valuable?

Understanding why a person is leaving, along with honest feedback of their experience as an employee, can be useful in helping you manage staff turnover and the culture of the company.  It can also help you to ensure the recruitment process is working correctly, as well as protect the company brand, and spot any potential claims that may be on the horizon.

Managing Staff Turnover

After carryout a number of exit interviews you may start to see patterns emerging, i.e. many staff give the same reasons for leaving.  If this is the case it gives you the opportunity to look at the problem and find a solution, preventing more staff leaving.

Is the Recruitment Process Working?

If the recruitment and onboarding process is done correctly, new recruits should have clear understanding of their role, the expectations placed on them, and as well as what they should expect in return from the company.  Therefore, poor recruitment and onboarding practises can lead to false expectations, and unhappy new recruits.

Protecting the Company Brand

During an exit interview you may find an employee is unhappy with the way they have been treated whilst working for the company.  This could lead to them portraying the company in a negative light after leaving.  However, having an open conversation gives you a chance to mend broken bridges.  Taking the time out to conduct an exit interview also shows that the company cares about why staff leave, giving the leaver a more positive impression of the company.

If you need any further support with Exit Interviews please contact us on team@hrprime.co.uk