How to conduct an effective exit interview
By Daniel Abramson, HRSource
Exit interviews provide an opportunity for your store to thank departing employees for their contributions and to wish them well in the future. They also offer an opportunity to gain insight into any issues within the company, where improvements can be made and how you are perceived as an employer.
Here’s how to conduct an effective exit interview:
Set a relaxed and positive tone.
- Select the best person to handle the interview. (Don’t assume it’s you.)
- Reassure the exiting employee about the confidentiality of the session.
- Say something like, “Our purpose here is to find ways to make our company a better place to work. While we listen very carefully to your input, nothing you say here will be attributed to you. Please feel free to tell me what you really think.”
Allow some warm-up with easy questions that encourage positive answers. Begin by confirming some basic facts about the employee’s history:
- You started here on [provide date], correct?
- And you started in appliance sales on [provide date], right?
- What were your basic duties when you started?
- Have they changed?
Then segue to some “How long?” and “Why” questions, such as:
- How long have you been thinking about leaving?
- What started you thinking that way?
- Could you explain that a little more?
Be receptive. Your mission is to gather information for future use, not defend policies, individuals or decisions.
- Refer to the company rather than individuals to avoid confrontational answers. For example, “What could management do to improve …” rather than “What could John Smith do to improve his management style?”
- If a statement challenges you or throws you off guard, buy some time before responding. Say: “I appreciate your honesty, Jane. Tell me a little more about what you mean.”
- Stay calm. If the exiting employee begins to get emotional or confrontational, say: “Jane, you obviously feel strongly about this, and I respectfully ask that you suggest some specific actions we can take to improve that situation in the future.”
End by wishing the departing employee well. “Thank you for your insightful comments, Jane. We wish you the best of luck and success in your new position.”
Any questions? Please feel free to reach out to me at (540) 535-8484 or dabramson84@gmail.com.
Daniel Abramson is managing lead of HRSource, a comprehensive collection of customized employment tools and turnkey solutions exclusive to BrandSource members.
