Although not common practice for most companies, exit interviews are a tool worth utilising when an employee has decided that’s it’s time to move on.

Although it is always sad to see a valued employee leave your organisation, you can often gain a deeper insight into their decision by conducting an exit interview. It is also a great opportunity to let you employee know that you value the work they have done and that you care about their future. All of which will help to maintain strong relationships, foster goodwill and leave them thinking positively about your organisation.

If that wasn’t reason enough, then here are a few more examples as to why you should implement exit interviews in the workplace:

1. Understand their reasons for departure – Exit interviews allow employers to ask why the employee has decided to leave the company. These insights could help to reduce employee turnover in the future and since the employee is leaving, they are more likely to be open about your workplace culture than they have been previously.Familiarise yourself with your Company Absence Policy
2. Ensure a smooth transition – An exit interview allows the employer to be briefed on projects that the departing employee was working on. This should help you delegate workload and ensure minimum disruption within the business.
3. Gain a greater understanding of the marketplace – A common reason for an employee switching roles is due to them being offered a more competitive salary and benefits package. An exit interview could be used to find out more about what your competitors are offering. If you are able to gain this information, it will help your company stay competitive within your industry and help you attract and retain the best talent.

Maximising the Exit Interview Opportunity

In order to get the most out of exit interviews, and for complete objectivity, we would recommend that they are conducted by an HR professional and structured in the same format each time. In order to reap the benefits, just like any other interview, you must also ensure that the right questions are asked.

Here are a few of our suggestions:

• Why did you decide to leave the company?
• How was your relationship with your manager?
• Would you consider working for us again in the future, or recommend it as a good place to work for others?
• What lead you to accept the new position?
• Was there anything we could have done or offered to you that would have persuaded you to remain employed here?

Exit interviews can be valuable for employers, for the myriad of reasons listed above. However, it is important that employers do not only look into staff satisfaction when they are leaving the company. We encourage all employers to regularly monitor their employee satisfaction through suggestion forms, surveys or one to one meetings with their head of department.