We always talk/write about relations and respect every relation. Relation between employer and employee is also one such relation. Gone are the days when people use to stick to one job for rest of their life. The trust is lost and the faith is lost as well from both sides. If an employer is having a policy of hire and fire, employees are also free to change their jobs whenever they want. We are only reaping the fruits from the trees sown by us. Anyway, if you are sitting across the table with your employee for an exit interview, probably that is the last opportunity for you to change his mind and to retain him and if you are able to do it, you are not only brilliant but excellent HR Professional.
While attrition is a natural process for organizations, replacing employees is expensive. The cost goes beyond merely placing an advertisement for the opening in a newspaper. It includes training a new employee, staff time for selecting a new employee, lost productivity while the position is open and lost productivity until the new employee gets up to speed. Understanding why people voluntarily leave the company can provide an opportunity for the firm to make changes to reduce turnover rates -- and reduce the associated costs.
The exit interview serves a number of important functions. When trends in voluntary separations are tracked, the firm may be provided a valuable heads up concerning discrimination problems. It can be anything : Discrimination between expertise, Discrimination between profiles, Discrimination between Grades or categories or bands likewise . If a trend reveals an inordinate number of women and minorities are resigning, there could be a lack of advancement opportunities. By exploring these issues through exit interviews, the company can learn about the issue and take corrective action.
Valuable feedback concerning training and development can be obtained during the exit interview. If employees feel they are not properly trained to perform the responsibilities of their jobs, they may leave. If employees feel that the assignments are not matching to their core competences which compel them to perform poorly. Or some may leave when they perceive there is a lack of opportunities for future positions. Using the exit interview effectively can also provide the company with valuable feedback concerning benefits and compensation. This can be both negative and positive. It is equally important to know what employees’ value and what they would like to see changed. The organization can provide a more competitive compensation and benefits package if they utilize this feedback.
The public relations aspect of the exit interview is equally important. The interview is an opportunity for the employer to end the employee's time with the company on a positive note. A new relationship with the departing employee may be created. As the employee departs with positive feelings about the organization, this will be communicated to remaining employees, local community / technical fraternity and future employees. The end result may even be ease of recruiting future applicants.
Guidelines for determining the exit interview content
As with all questionnaires, it is important to strike the right balance between information needs and survey length when putting together an exit survey instrument. There are six key guidelines that should be kept in mind to help ensure that the end result is a useful and effective survey:
Do not focus solely on the employee’s reasons for leaving – although this is extremely important information, it is also critical to include broader measures about the employee’s attitudes and experiences so as to help identify the issues and concerns that may not surface when asking about reasons for leaving.
Ensure that there is more than one way for employees to express their reasons for leaving – including several open-ended questions for them to include their own comments – so as to get a full perspective on the decision to leave.
In order to get beyond a focus on the decision itself, incorporate key attitudinal measures such as the employee’s satisfaction with the job itself, an assessment of the organization’s work culture and effectiveness of its various lines of communication, how well the employee’s job responsibilities were defined, perceived opportunities for advancement and the employee’s perspective on the amount of training, feedback and recognition received.
Recognize that, for maximum effect, any exit survey system needs to be implemented consistently and in such a way as to encourage employees to share their opinions as honestly and candidly as possible.
Incorporate the ability to examine results not only on the basis of individual results but for the organization as a whole, as well as on the basis of the relevant diagnostics, such as region, department or manager.
Remember that there is an important distinction to be made between idiosyncratic reasons for leaving, over which the organization has little control, and systemic reasons for leaving, over which the organization can exercise substantial control.
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While attrition is a natural process for organizations, replacing employees is expensive. The cost goes beyond merely placing an advertisement for the opening in a newspaper. It includes training a new employee, staff time for selecting a new employee, lost productivity while the position is open and lost productivity until the new employee gets up to speed. Understanding why people voluntarily leave the company can provide an opportunity for the firm to make changes to reduce turnover rates -- and reduce the associated costs.
The exit interview serves a number of important functions. When trends in voluntary separations are tracked, the firm may be provided a valuable heads up concerning discrimination problems. It can be anything : Discrimination between expertise, Discrimination between profiles, Discrimination between Grades or categories or bands likewise . If a trend reveals an inordinate number of women and minorities are resigning, there could be a lack of advancement opportunities. By exploring these issues through exit interviews, the company can learn about the issue and take corrective action.
Valuable feedback concerning training and development can be obtained during the exit interview. If employees feel they are not properly trained to perform the responsibilities of their jobs, they may leave. If employees feel that the assignments are not matching to their core competences which compel them to perform poorly. Or some may leave when they perceive there is a lack of opportunities for future positions. Using the exit interview effectively can also provide the company with valuable feedback concerning benefits and compensation. This can be both negative and positive. It is equally important to know what employees’ value and what they would like to see changed. The organization can provide a more competitive compensation and benefits package if they utilize this feedback.
The public relations aspect of the exit interview is equally important. The interview is an opportunity for the employer to end the employee's time with the company on a positive note. A new relationship with the departing employee may be created. As the employee departs with positive feelings about the organization, this will be communicated to remaining employees, local community / technical fraternity and future employees. The end result may even be ease of recruiting future applicants.
Guidelines for determining the exit interview content
As with all questionnaires, it is important to strike the right balance between information needs and survey length when putting together an exit survey instrument. There are six key guidelines that should be kept in mind to help ensure that the end result is a useful and effective survey:
Do not focus solely on the employee’s reasons for leaving – although this is extremely important information, it is also critical to include broader measures about the employee’s attitudes and experiences so as to help identify the issues and concerns that may not surface when asking about reasons for leaving.
Ensure that there is more than one way for employees to express their reasons for leaving – including several open-ended questions for them to include their own comments – so as to get a full perspective on the decision to leave.
In order to get beyond a focus on the decision itself, incorporate key attitudinal measures such as the employee’s satisfaction with the job itself, an assessment of the organization’s work culture and effectiveness of its various lines of communication, how well the employee’s job responsibilities were defined, perceived opportunities for advancement and the employee’s perspective on the amount of training, feedback and recognition received.
Recognize that, for maximum effect, any exit survey system needs to be implemented consistently and in such a way as to encourage employees to share their opinions as honestly and candidly as possible.
Incorporate the ability to examine results not only on the basis of individual results but for the organization as a whole, as well as on the basis of the relevant diagnostics, such as region, department or manager.
Remember that there is an important distinction to be made between idiosyncratic reasons for leaving, over which the organization has little control, and systemic reasons for leaving, over which the organization can exercise substantial control.
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