Exit Interviews are a type of interview typically conducted by an employer with an employee who is leaving the company. The purpose of the interview is to gather feedback from the employee about their experiences working for the company and to identify any issues or areas for improvement. The information gathered in the exit interview can be used to make change to the company’s policies and procedures, improve the work environment, and retain other employees. The interview can be conducted by a third party, such as a human resources representative, to ensure impartiality.
What I am going to talk here is about changes that is required in exit interviews. I have said this in my short video also and I am just expanding the thought mentioned in my short video. Click on the link to understand what I am going to say here. 11 Questions that need to be asked during exit interview.
Having worked for 29+ years on organisations across industries, I feel that the line manager plays an important role in building the culture as well as development of an employee within the organisation.
The reason behind this is they are the people who interact with team members on a daily basis as they have to get the work done through their team. They know the strengths and weakness of their team members.
Coming back to exit interview. Who leaves an organisation? An average employee or a performing employee or a non performing employee. A non performing employee any finds it’s way out through appraisal system. My view here is to point out to exit of performing employees. So, why do they leave?
- Is it due to a bad manager?
- Is that they have been rated bad in their last appraisal? In fact, I have left the organisation due to this as I felt cheated, despite being innovative and taking maximum initiative within the organisation while handling one of the assignments for driving the future growth and customer engagement for the organisation.
- Or is it for the reason that they have not been able to fulfil their dreams within the organisation? This may be financial growth or leadership ladder growth.
To me majority of people will say they left the job due to bad manager. I differ on this and there is a reason behind this. Let’s be honest at least in your heart and while reading my post, put your hand on your heart and the truth will be inform of you. Why I am saying this is for the fact that, you just ask this question and you will have the answer: “How many of you have said in your job seeking interview that you want to leave the organisation due to your MANAGER is BAD? I think hardly any.
It all depends upon the ability of an employee to hold on to such bosses. I had been through such managers and believe me you all can handle them by using the principle of goal settings the S.M.A.R.T. way i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. I have used it in my career journey. I will discuss about this in another blog. Wait for the announcement of this article.
Ok, leaving that there let’s look at how we can minimize the impact of performing employees leave the organisation. I do not say that the logic that I am going to say this will completely stop employees from leaving the organisation but will help organisation retain few of them. Because few will leave for their financial growth, few may leave due to not meeting their desired goals that they would have set for themselves best known to them like changes ion their job description. As organisations cannot give all employees the expansion in their job description, I mean moving them to one ladder up where they were originally. Financial growth also compels employees to leave the organisation. I will talk about the same later sometime, so just keep visiting my site.
Coming back to on exit interviews. As I have said that in my short video about the change in the process where one takes proactive steps to minimize the performing employees leave the organisation. Let’s jump to it.
To me these 11 exit questions exit questions differ from organisations to organisations and one may tune to their requirement should form a part of annual appraisal system. Know you will ask Why? These questions to me helps employees to know the organisation as well as helps them introspect their job description and culture of the organisation and they adjusting to the culture. It’s like marriage where one has to adjust or else separation cannot be avoided.
Ques. 1: Do you feel that your job description has changed since you joined the organisation? Has this enriched you learning & adding value to you?
Where does this question help? It make an employee think, go back and think through before writing. So he introspects himself.
Ques. 2: What was the best part of your job?
Does this question help? Yes, it does. To my understanding this does help.
Ques. 3: What was the worst part of your job?
Ques. 4: What was the best day in the job?
Ques. 5: What was the worst day in the job?
The above 4 questions do wonders. Because well all have our best days and worst days and in working environment the job descriptions may lead to people loving it and not loving it. At least some part of the job description. Especially when you are guiding people. To be honest, I have always felt like that. In life too we have good days and bad days. Do we think otherwise. No Naa, we strive to make it better. So, why not at the workplace. Workplace is also a part of your life.
Ques. 6: Were your goals and objectives clear to you?
Ques. 7: What changes you would like in your job description?
Ques. 8: How do you define our company culture?
Ques. 9: What are your inputs on our training and development?
Ques. 10: How would you improve employee morale?
Ques. 11: Any other issues or comment you would like to address?
The above questions are more related to culture and progressive way to manage expectations. This may help employees to engage with the organisation and make them feel being part of the organisation and are self explanatory.
To conclude I would say that, employees are the integral part of the organisation and it’s make and break happens depending upon the participation by the employee. So, an organisation has to take steps to engage with the employees, time and again to gauge their expectations. I agree that all expectations can not be met but a sincere effort does help to get along the log journey of the organisation to meet their vision and objective.
I know may would agree and disagree with my thoughts. But these are my personal views and you all have the liberty to agree and disagree. In bit the scenarios do share you views and suggestions so that I improvise and get you all more engaged.
These are mere suggestions and my understanding of working in corporates for 29 plus years, leading a large team across geographies.