When you decide to move on to a new role, or no longer want to work at your company, it’s customary for many companies to hold an exit interview for you. If you haven’t been offered one you can always ask for one.
According to a Harvard Business Review study, three-quarters of companies conduct some sort of exit interview for employees, with 70% of these interviews being carried out by HR departments.
They are an important part of an employee’s journey and should be seen as more than just a tick-box exercise.
What is an exit interview?
When someone has handed in their notice, they will typically be asked to attend an exit interview with either their manager or someone from the HR team.
This interview serves two useful purposes. In the first instance, it’s an opportunity for you to provide feedback or discuss grievances you have had while in the role. Secondly, it helps the interviewer to understand why you have decided to leave and if there’s anything the company could have done or still can do to keep you.
Why are exit interviews important?
As a company, fostering an environment of employees who are happy in their roles and feel committed to their work is important. To achieve this, your company should ensure constructive feedback where you can provide your honest opinions – especially to those employees who have quit their job.
During your exit interview, you can be honest about the reasons you have for leaving, your experience working for the company, and if there’s anything that could be improved to create a more enjoyable work environment for your peers.
Employees who are leaving a company are typically a lot more honest and open than employees who have no plans to leave. This transparency means that a company can often get a lot more insightful feedback that highlights existing flaws and issues within their business.
Using the information collected in exit interviews, companies can make changes that can improve existing processes, engage employees, and attract top talent to upcoming job openings.
4 tips for a successful exit interview
Exit interviews should be more than just a box-ticking exercise that HR departments require. Here are three tips that you can follow to have a successful exit interview:
- Prepare feedback in advance: It’s important for you to give the feedback you want to give, hiring managers will have tailored questions ready related to the role you are leaving as well. Those questions could cover a range of business topics and usually focus on where there are opportunities for the business to improve.
- Fill out the written survey prior to your exit interview: This will give you time to think about the answers and the interviewer will most likely check the answers before the interview and decide if there’s anything that they would like to discuss further or seek clarity on.
- Push for the interview to take place in person: There should be a private meeting room where you feel like you are able to be honest and open about your experiences with your company.
- Be constructive in your feedback: Be honest but it is always advisable to be constructive in your feedback, if you want to keep the door open to come back in the future you never know, you don’t want to burn all your bridges and you may still need a reference.
