{"id":3284,"date":"2017-03-22T06:50:23","date_gmt":"2017-03-22T13:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/recruitloop.wpengine.com\/?p=3284"},"modified":"2019-04-27T18:24:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T08:24:18","slug":"8-tips-to-help-run-a-tough-exit-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/8-tips-to-help-run-a-tough-exit-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Tips to Ensure You Run a Professional Exit Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you hate conducting exit interviews? Or worse still, do you avoid conducting exit interviews?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

Although most organizations conduct exit interviews, statistics suggest that as\u00a0little as 15% feel comfortable with the process and trace any real value back\u00a0to it.<\/p>\n

For most, they bring up awkward memories of frozen smiling faces as\u00a0an employee unloads what an awful time they\u2019ve been having or the uncomfortable\u00a0knowledge that something\u2019s not quite right even though they claim\u00a0everything was wonderful and they just \u2018needed a change\u2019.<\/p>\n

Some even question why\u00a0organizations continue to perform exit discussions, pointing out that these sorts\u00a0of questions should be asked of employees on a regular basis, and not just when they’re about to\u00a0leave. By that time it is too late to do anything about it.<\/p>\n

For the majority of business owners, managers or HR specialists, exit interviews are a reality of\u00a0the role. Sometimes the interviews are pleasant – nothing more than a tick of the\u00a0box and a positive send off. Other times they turn into a nightmare situation –\u00a0employees crying (I have personally witnessed this many times), spewing anger or just refusing to comment believing that the discussion is futile.<\/p>\n

If you have an Exit Interview<\/a> scheduled and you think it might turn ugly, here are some tips for handling the tougher conversations.<\/p>\n

1. Provide the employee plenty of time to prepare<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you think you\u2019re nervous about a tough exit discussion, you can be sure\u00a0the employee is just as uptight about it; perhaps even more so because\u00a0they perceive themselves to have less control of the process. It\u2019s courtesy\u00a0to provide the employee with the list of questions they will be asked in advance. Let\u00a0them know they don\u2019t need to answer any they might not feel comfortable with and that\u00a0you\u2019d also just like to have a general discussion about their experience\u00a0with the firm, if they have anything they would like to add.<\/p>\n

2. Set up a structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Have set questions. Write things down. Stick to the time limit.<\/p>\n

A standard process to follow does two things. Firstly, it keeps the\u00a0procedure neutral, allowing both parties to fall back on a system if the\u00a0discussion becomes too intense. Phrases like, \u2018I\u2019ve written all that down. Why don\u2019t we move onto the next question?<\/em>\u2019 can help diffuse an\u00a0emotionally charged situation.<\/p>\n

Secondly, it provides the organization\u00a0with comparable data. The information you spend emotional energy and\u00a0time on obtaining is unlikely to be used if there is no systematic format\u00a0for aggregating it.<\/p>\n

When everyone is using the same structure, even if\u00a0interviews are conducted by different managers, the information can be\u00a0compared and analyzed.<\/p>\n

3. Keep it simple<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When there is a lot of information to get through, it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll make\u00a0it all the way to the end of a list of 20 questions. Adding too many agenda\u00a0items will put pressure on the interview and cause it to end with an\u00a0unfinished feeling.<\/p>\n

Stick to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • the two main reasons they are leaving;<\/li>\n
  • any suggestions for how the organization could have kept them;<\/li>\n
  • what they liked\/didn\u2019t like about the workplace and;<\/li>\n
  • options for keeping in touch in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    4. Find out about the employee’s role<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Please note: This point applies to anyone conducting an exit interview with someone who does not report directly to them.<\/p>\n

    It can be tempting to assume the employee will be able to fill you in on\u00a0the basic details about their work environment, such as what they do on a\u00a0day to day basis and why they need to work so closely with \u2018Sarah\u2019 whom\u00a0they really don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n

    However, not having a cursory understanding of\u00a0their role and the people they work with will reduce the amount of\u00a0quality information you receive in the interview and block the employee\u2019s\u00a0honesty.<\/p>\n

    Work environments can be complex. If an employee feels like\u00a0they need to go through the basics of where they sit and their general\u00a0activities before they can elaborate on nuanced relationship issues,\u00a0they may not even bother to get started. Finding this information out\u00a0beforehand will show you care and save time for talking about the more\u00a0important stuff.<\/p>\n

    5. Choose the right setting<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Think carefully about the impression you want to give an employee in\u00a0the exit interview. For most, the discussion will go better in an environment\u00a0where they can relax and feel safe in divulging anecdotes. This means\u00a0moving it out of an imposing office and onto neutral ground, perhaps an\u00a0outdoor table away from listeners or a private meeting room.<\/p>\n

    6. Combine it with an anonymous online survey<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The two main limits of exit interviews can, in some way, be made up for\u00a0by an anonymous online survey. It doesn\u2019t matter how much you say\u00a0the discussion is confidential, the employee will not believe you. They\u00a0know that to use the information they provide, the stories will eventually need to get\u00a0back to the source somehow.<\/p>\n

    I once had an exit interview conducted on me where some of the points I had raised ‘confidentially’ were shared before I’d even left the building!<\/p>\n

    Awkward.<\/em><\/p>\n

    An anonymous online survey can, in some\u00a0instances, tease out stuff an employee might otherwise decide to hide.<\/p>\n

    Secondly, anecdotes are important but difficult to use to spot trends or\u00a0rank managers. Some quantitative data is useful in conjunction with the\u00a0face-to-face meeting.<\/p>\n

    7. Don’t get defensive<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The goal of the session is not to get the employee back on staff or defend\u00a0your reputation as an organization. This will accomplish nothing and\u00a0entering the discussion with these goals will create angst very quickly.<\/p>\n

    Set your sights on ensuring the employee has felt heard, garnering\u00a0information if you can and making them feel appreciated as they walk out\u00a0the doors. Doors you want to keep unlocked, even if you don\u2019t want them\u00a0open.<\/p>\n

    8. Finish well<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    It\u2019s all how you finish. The most emotionally fraught discussion can still\u00a0result in the employee leaving with a good taste in their mouth if the last\u00a0few minutes are conducted right.<\/p>\n

    Ensure you have some points of praise\u00a0from their current manager (if that isn’t you!) and mention the ways they contributed\u00a0during their time in the business. Wish them the best for their future career and\u00a0thank them for being a part of the organization.<\/p>\n

    Do it sincerely. No one\u00a0sets out to be a nightmare employee. See them for the human they are;\u00a0the human you may run into on the street some day in the future!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you have an Exit Interview scheduled and you think it might turn ugly, here are some tips for handling the tougher conversations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23,30],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 Tips to Ensure You Run a Professional Exit Interview<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you have an Exit Interview scheduled and you think it might turn ugly, here are some tips for handling the tougher conversations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/8-tips-to-help-run-a-tough-exit-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Tips to Ensure You Run a 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