The power of the exit interview

Evolutions in technology and workplace environments mean that the art of a good exit interview is being lost. However, it remains as important as ever, argues one people and performance executive.

Exit interviews, Cornerstone Medical Recruitment chief people officer Christina King (pictured) said, provide recent and generally unfiltered feedback on an employee’s experience with an employer, providing organisations with insight into what has been done well and where the gaps are across a range of topics.

They produce, she noted in conversation with HR Leader, commentary that would potentially otherwise not be uncovered if not conducted.

Importance

“Exit interviews are important to allow employers to use this feedback to reinforce or increase the positive experiences or to make improvements – both of which can lead to improved engagement, retention, and performance,” she said.

However, King added, there are some instances in which workplaces and managers are losing the ability to undertake and complete a suitable exit interview.

“The rise in technology has helped and hindered the exit interview process, with a positive being improved analytics of responses within HRIS platforms,” she said.

“Some HR teams believe that firing off a link to an exit interview survey is their job done, and whilst this can be the preferred feedback mechanism for some, it can also be a missed opportunity to ask probing or additional questions.”

“Completing an exit interview in person, via video or over the phone gives the interviewer the chance to hear emphasis and tone of voice to understand the importance of the feedback from the employee or provide the opportunity to delve into a comment in the moment to better understand the context or circumstances.”

Before developing an exit interview framework (such as defaulting straight to an online-only approach sent after the employee exits), she continued, organisations should consider factors such as the demographic of the workforce, communication styles or preferences, and general survey participation rates.

“Additional consideration should be given to who is offered the opportunity to complete an exit interview i.e. only those who exit voluntarily or all exits and the timing of when the exit interview is completed,” she said.

For employees, King went on, a good exit interview conveys a feeling to the employee that their opinion matters and giving feedback is worth their time because something will be done with it.

“If conducted well, it also says that any constructive feedback is welcomed rather than dismissed and that the organisation has a continuous improvement focus,” she said.

“Even if the employee found a better opportunity elsewhere as their reason for leaving, a well-delivered exit interview can also leave the employee with a positive sense of the employer’s intent, with this reflected in their future comments about the organisation.”

Practical steps

Organisations can take several steps, King detailed, such as providing a layered approach, incorporating an online survey with an opportunity for phone/video/in-person follow-up or as an alternative to the online survey, ensuring the interview questions are relevant, succinct, and clear, develop different versions of exit interviews to align to the exited employee’s circumstances.

For example, she noted, don’t ask a person who was terminated what their reason was for leaving.

“It is recommended to complete trial runs of the survey to ensure any online survey flows well and isn’t too time consuming and ensure that employees are told what will be done with their responses (for example, rolled up to senior members or shared with the CEO), confirm if their responses are anonymous (or ask permission to share their specific feedback if appropriate) and take the time to analyse the data and develop insights on a regular basis,” she said.

“By upskilling interviewers regarding what to look for in conducting an exit interview to prompt additional or more probing questions, and technology to your advantage, including running any data through an AI tool to assist in identifying trends or themes, this can also be helpful from a time and results perspective.”

Investment

When asked how HR teams and managers can better convince their businesses of the need to invest in meaningful, substantive exit interviews – by way of time, money, resources, and systems – King said: “I’d suggest that it is important to ensure the exit interview process is well communicated to leaders so they understand the ‘why’, importance and value.”

“Regularly compile outcomes, insights and recommendations and provide to key leaders, secure an executive sponsor to champion the process and share the findings at a senior level if your most senior HR person is not part of that group.”

“Also, keep track of actions taken in the business as a result of exit interview feedback and, where possible, quantify the impact in dollars, productivity or other outcomes, ensuring that internally, HR teams or other interviewers ensure completion of exit interviews in a timely and consistent manner.”

Ultimately, King concluded, by demonstrating a positive impact on organisational performance across various levels of the business, CEOs are more likely to support additional investment in the process.