The Secret Managers Can Learn from Exit Interviews

By jamie | May 6, 2010 | BPM, Solutions

The exit interview is a very important element of any well-designed employee off-boarding process. No matter the reason for the employee’s departure, exit interviews are a key part of making sure that the employee’s tenure with the company wraps up on a positive note, and are of great importance to both employees and management.

From management’s perspective, the exit interview serves as a valuable opportunity to receive insightful feedback. Through candid exit interviews, the company can receive suggestions that can then be used to reflect upon and improve company operations. The key is not only to conduct the exit interview, but to also take the next step and actually learn from the feedback. An off-boarding workflow can help route information gleaned from exit interviews to the right decision-makers. By ensuring that the information reaches the right people, the “secrets” learned in off-boarding interviews can actually change the company and help it grow.

An off-boarding exit interview can also be of great value to the employee. When an employee leaves a company, whether due to a layoff or by her own volition, she often has a lot to say about it.  The exit interview can provide a sense of closure and leave the employee with more resolution than if she were simply terminated and sent on her merry way. Furthermore, exit interviews give employees the opportunity to provide honest feedback on their experiences and share their thoughts on how the company could do better, both positive and negative (like aperformance review in reverse!)  Employees may also feel more open to express their opinions and give more honest feedback, since they are on their way out the door.

Through a standardized exit interview checklist, workflow software can standardize the exit interview process and ensure that it is productive exercise for employees, managers, and HR personnel who analyze the results. Workflow software can also route information to the correct decision-makers in order to shed light on any issues with company operations or policies, and create a record of feedback across departments and over time.