The topic of conducting exit interviews can be oddly touchy for some. Almost like talking about a break-up or bad argument with a friend. But it doesn’t have to be that way and bringing up how your company handles the business of exit interviews doesn’t have to feel like bringing up politics at the dinner table.
In fact, at Zoom Recruitment, we believe that it’s important you do bring up the question of exit interviews – and not just for ceremonial reasons. There is plenty to be gained by an open and frank discussion with an employee that is leaving your organisation. In this article, we’re going to talk about some of those gains.
Exit interviews are a chance to collect some vital data and learn more about the passage of an employee through your business. It doesn’t need to be an overly serious encounter – more a reflective exercise with a view to improving the business moving forward.
Structure is still important however, and you’ll want to prepare your questions ahead of time. This will ensure that you’re covering your bases and getting the most out of this opportunity to develop your understanding of how your business functions.
Some areas to enquire about are job satisfaction, key reasons for leaving, workplace culture, any problems with policy or procedure. Each of these will be areas that you might discover or re-affirm are areas with room for improvement within the business.
There are three big reasons you should be conducting exit interviews this way.
An exit interview is an important process specifically because it gives both you and your employee an opportunity to reflect on how the relationship has progressed. It’s often much easier to understand where things might have gone wrong with the benefit of hindsight.
Exit interviews have the benefit of bringing about a sense of closure to proceedings. If you believe that an employee is leaving due to something that might cause problems down the track, an exit interview is an opportunity to enquire and address any sources for concern.
As the old saying goes, ‘you win, or you learn’. Exit interviews are a pretty important example of that attitude. You might not be thrilled about the loss of an employee, but the opportunity to sit down with them and discuss their reasons for leaving, or just getting their take on things is where your business is going to find the data it needs to grow.
At Zoom Recruitment, our take is that the businesses who commit to getting the details done right are the ones that thrive. Conducting structured exit interviews is a major detail in how you can make sure you’re getting the best data you can at a crucial point in your organisation’s relationship with your staff.
To learn more about effective staffing and recruitment, keep coming back to our blog. If you’re looking to find out more about how Zoom Recruitment can help your business get ahead with effective recruitment services and a 360-degree account management style. Don’t hesitate to get in touch today by calling 1300 762 208 or leaving us a message via our contact form to get started.