Interviewing an employee who has decided to leave can provide the company with useful information on the reasons for labour turnover and help identify practices within the organisation that may need to be changed. Exit interviews can also help to identify the training and development needs of remaining employees, provide information on the marketplace and competitors, indicate whether the departing employee could be re-employed in the future and ensure that he or she leaves with a good impression of the company.
The information that a company may find it useful to collect from a departing employee includes:
- the reasons why the employee is leaving;
- the conditions, if any, under which the employee would have stayed;
- the compensation and benefits the employee will be receiving from his or her new employer;
- the extent to which the terms and conditions of employment offered by the company influenced the employee's decision to leave;
- whether the employee's departure was prompted by unfair treatment;
- what improvements the employee considers the organisation could make;
- the employee's forwarding address.
An exit interview can be conducted face to face before the employee leaves. Alternatively, the company may prefer to conduct a telephone interview with the employee after he or she has left, or ask the employee to complete a questionnaire. A company may decide to interview all leavers or just a sample, such as one in every five.
If the personnel/human resources department conducts the exit interview, this may encourage more honesty and openness during the interview. It is important, however, that the interviewer should have a good understanding of the employee's job. Therefore if the employee retains a good relationship with his or her line manager, it may be more appropriate for that person to conduct the interview. Some companies may wish to employ the services of someone from outside the organisation to conduct exit interviews.
If the company decides to conduct a face-to-face interview, the following guidance may be helpful:
- Before the interview, explain to the employee the aims of the meeting and, if appropriate give him or her a copy of any form or questionnaire that he or she will be asked to complete. This will enable the employee to prepare for the interview and think about the topics that will be covered.
- Draft out the content of the interview in advance, using open-ended questions.
- During the interview, engage with the employee and try to keep note-taking to a minimum.
- Create an environment that encourages the employee to be open, honest and frank.
- Encourage the employee to talk openly and freely by confirming that his or her feedback can make a positive difference for ex-colleagues and the organisation.
- Try not to react to the information being provided by the employee or to defend the organisation or individuals within it - remain neutral.
- Encourage the employee to talk about the things that he or she has enjoyed while working for the company.
- Thank the individual for his or her contribution while working for the organisation.