The survey of 200 UK HR directors by recruitment firm OfficeTeam found 46% ‘sometimes’ undertake exit interviews, depending on seniority, while 17% do them only if HR resources are available.
A third of small and medium-sized companies undertake regular exit interviews compared with 22% of large organisations.
The majority of larger organisations (57%) conduct exit interviews on the basis of seniority – a far greater proportion than small (45%) and medium (31%) companies.
Phil Sheridan, the UK managing director of OfficeTeam, said exit interviews are a valuable way for companies to gather feedback to help them "instill a positive work environment and employee programmes that will both retain and attract top talent".
OfficeTeam: five tips for getting it right
Focus on timing. Issues may be raised that could lead to a grievance after the employee has left, so capturing information early will give you time to investigate if required.
Make sure they happen. The temptation when employees are busy in their last few days is to let exit interviews slide, but it’s important to gain insights that may benefit your organisation. Conducting face-to-face meetings is preferable as non-verbal cues are often the most insightful.
Be balanced. By encouraging constructive feedback the exit interview should capture positive as well as negative responses. Seek permission to share any information revealed in confidence.
Listen, don’t talk. Your intention is to obtain the facts as the employee sees it, not defend the company’s practices. Encouraging conversation instead of countering points will help extract valuable information.
Follow up. Make sure information is captured using a standard process and any insights are acted upon and communicated to the right people.
