Summary: Exit interviews are an important component of HRM, but not all organizations conduct them effectively. in this post, we will discuss some tips on making them effective and meaningful.
Exit interviews, as the name implies, are conducted when an employee is leaving the organization. Done in a more or less informal manner, these interviews include representatives from the HR team as well as the employee, and involve questions related to why the employee is leaving the organization and what feedback he or she wishes to give. If used properly, exit interviews can be very helpful for the organization in more ways than one.
Since they will be leaving the organization, employees can often be uninhibited and unencumbered in expressing their views and reviews, and this can act as a gold mine of data that, when analysed effectively, will help the organization improve in the future. However, some organizations don’t even bother with exit interviews either because they don’t have the manpower to conduct one, or because their existing talent cannot effectively handle it. However, exit interviews of every employee leaving the organization must be done. So, how do you get the best from your exit interviews? Here are some tips.
Understand why the employee is leaving
The first thing one needs to understand is why the employees are leaving the organization. Is it that they are not able to handle the work and the pressure that comes with it, or do they not see growth for themselves? Or is it that they don’t deem that the organization and its goals don’t fit with those of theirs anymore?
When you know the reason why someone is leaving, you can understand the gaps and ensure that others are not leaving for the same purpose. Say you have a manager or a team leader who is not effective at the job but is causing some circumstances that forced these people to leave, you can take action against him or her. Also, if the employee is leaving because the other organization is showing him a better career path, you can up the stakes and match the same so that either the person thinks about staying or it makes the others stay. In gathering this data, online HR software’s integrated survey application will be of immense help.
Workplace
Another important thing that you can gather from the exit interview is how the workplace is functioning. Some employees leave because the team is not working together well, or the manager is not able to lead or inspires, or for some other reason related to the workplace. Through the exit interview, HR professionals can figure out how much the workplace influenced the employee’s decision to quit the organization.
Also, it is a good idea to ask the employee what she likes or dislikes about the job. By knowing this, more of the former and less of the latter can be done.
Succession planning
Exit interviews also help with success planning in the sense that the HR can understand what qualities and skills they should be looking for in the replacements. The employee who had been doing the job for a while would know better than others what the skills necessary for it to be done well are, and what kind talent would fit the role well. If there is a need to hire more qualified candidates or if there is a need for further training or education before someone is ready for the job, organizations can go ahead and implement the same. If the job description is wrong, or if the necessary and preferred skills are different from what were listed, the employee would be able to convey the same to the HR.
Ask for criticism/feedback
Now that the employee is calling it quits with the organization, it is time for some mutually honest feedback and criticism. Instead of waiting for the employee to mention it, it is a good idea for the HR to go ahead and bring it up so that this can be gotten out of the way. All employees have some sort of complaints and grievances with the workplace and the people, or the way the organization functions. Therefore, by inviting criticism from employees, organizations can change and improve.
Don’t burn the bridges
It is not uncommon for employees who have left the organization to join back after some time if they do not like the new workplace. In such cases, good relationships between the employee and HR will be of big help. Organizations will get their trained resource back, and employees will have a workplace where they know all the conditions. Therefore, both parties must remember not to burn the bridges but to part on good terms.
Collect data and analyse
It is a good idea to collect some data in a formal manner from the exiting employee so that these responses can be analysed to understand how things can be made better at the workplace. By making the employees complete a survey, HR professionals can gain data in multiple aspects of the position as well as the organization, so that they can be used for the improvement of the organization in the long run. With your human resource management software’s analytics like SutiHR, you will be able to analyse the data collected easily and effectively.
Exit interviews can be very helpful in shaping up the workplace and improving the quality and efficiency of HRM. Every organization should ensure that they are being conducted effectively.