Research into the methods used, questions asked, and
the interpretation of the information in order to improve a company.
BSCI 7100-002
Executive Issues in
Professor
Steve Williams, Drew Yantis
Prepared by:
Zac Wolfe, Jon Feekes, and Lance Davis
October 1, 2000
Problem
Statement:
Prepare an exit interview for
employees choosing to leave a company from the perspective of the employer.
Identify methods by which you will determine an employee’s experiences
at the company. Indicate who will
be responsible for administering the interview and how the information will be
interpreted.
The purpose of this report is
centered on our desire to gain a better understanding of employee retention
issues, and methods available to improve overall company welfare.
Specifically this report examines the employee exit interview,
recommended questions to ask, and how interpreting the information can be used
as a tool for improving the company.
This report is organized into
the following areas:
Retaining employees has been a
key issue in business for many years. With
today’s booming economy and record low unemployment rate, it is vital that
companies create a corporate culture that motivates and satisfies employees.
Yet, how can a company keep in touch with employee’s opinions and
desires? When an employee does
choose to leave, how can a company learn from that employee concerning why he or
she left, areas the company can improve, and finalizing any company compensation
and payments owed to the employee.
When an employee decides to
leave a company, it would be beneficial to the business to find out the real
reason the employee is departing. A
good way to accomplish this is through an employee exit interview.
The exit interview, when put to its full use, can give you answers that will serve to improve the company but the interview must have executive management’s support in order for the information garnered to be put to good use.
Use an exit interview to accomplish the following:
1. To visit with a terminating employee and learn the real reason for the departure.
2. Collect property that belongs to the company
3. To give the employee the final paycheck
4. To discuss the payment of accrued benefits
5. Finalize paperwork
6. Update the employee’s personal file
7. To garner information regarding liability torts
(This list was composed from
“When Employees Quit…Find Out Why”
www.smartbiz.com)
There are several types of methods available that can be
used to develop questions for an exit interview. The following list briefly describes the types and indicates
some advantages and disadvantages or each.
There are four question types that can be used while
conducting an exit interview. The
types of questions asked lend themselves to certain forms of answers, such as
open-ended, close-ended, multiple choice, and written essay form.
The following list briefly describes the four question types.
It is the recommendation of
the group that a company should establish a mixture of structured and
unstructured interview to be conducted in a one-on-one exit interview process.
In doing so the company works toward creating a comfort level and
relationship with the employee that enables him to her to be open, honest,
unhindered, and unbiased in his or her answers, suggestions, and ideas of the
company. This will bring forth
useful and honest information, which the company may use in a course of action,
to better retain employees in the future.
With this employee information,
it is the responsibility of the employer to be a genuine listener and honestly
encourage employee opinions with the understanding that the company wishes to
maintain all qualified employees and is willing to change certain practices if
needed. The employee must also be
notified that all information garnered during the exit interview will remain
private and secure to those in upper management, the interviewer, and human
resources director.
Many firms use exit interviews to find out why people
leave their jobs. Because the exit interview can be a powerful tool that can
provide companies with information on how to correct dissatisfaction and reduce
employee turnover, several key issues should be addressed in preparation of the
interview. The groundwork for conducting a proper interview follows:
Who:
The person who is responsible for conducting the exit
interview is almost as important as the interview itself.
The employee should be given the option to choose their interviewer in
order for them to feel most comfortable during the process. A company should
offer the employee a choice between his or her immediate supervisor, personnel
specialist, outside consultant or a co-worker.
Employees may opt for their supervisor, in the
expectation that they will best understand the nature of the job-related
problems that might be discussed. Other
employees might choose a personnel specialist if they fear retaliation from the
supervisor or think that the personnel specialist is in a better position to
understand the broad issues involving the company philosophy, culture or policy.
If the employee feels that there is a sense that no one within the organization
can offer an open atmosphere for discussion, the employee may choose an outside
consultant who will be more qualified to conduct the interview objectively.
Finally, the employee may choose a co-worker to conduct the interview.
The employee may have a mutual feeling of trust with the co-worker and would
therefore feel more at ease and open about their answers and comments.
When:
The time of day when the interview is held is important
also. People tend to feel fresher
in the morning and usually have more to say.
Relevant information from the employee would be more coherent and fresh
on their mind if the exit interview were conducted in the morning.
Other times during the day may be more convenient to the employee’s
schedule and must be considered.
Where:
The interview should be
conducted in a neutral location. If
the employee feels that the conducting of the interview, such as their
supervisor’s office, may be too hostile, a neutral location such as a
conference room would be more appropriate. The environment of where the
interview takes place should be one that helps to make the employee feel safe,
open and honest in regards to the answers that they will provide. A neutral
place would also help reduce the number of external distractions that may
interrupt the interview and help keep the meeting focused on the matters at
hand. . It is encouraged that the
atmosphere for conducting the interview be as private and enjoyable as possible.
This interview should be
conducted upon immediate notice of an employee’s departure.
This is important in order to prevent the resigning employee from feeling
overlooked and will promote more willingness to interview and more valuable
responses.
Our recommendation in regards to the interview setting
is to keep the meeting as private and personal as possible. By keeping the
meeting personal, we feel that the employee would feel more comfortable and
therefore hopefully give honest answers to the exit interview questions.
The employee should be given the choice to choose his interviewer.
If at all possible, a system of recording the information should be made
available during the meeting in an effort to accurately relay the information
gained from the employee to the executive managers. This information is a
benefit to the organization and should be used as historical reference as well.
We also recommend that the exiting interview be held in the morning and at a
neutral atmosphere for the employee. The ultimate goal for the exit interview is
to help better the organization and solve unforeseen problems.
If properly conducted, the exit interview will provide vital information
on how to correct internal or external factors that may be affecting the
organization.
Below is the exit interview format and questionnaire that
should be implemented in order to receive the most valuable feedback.
The support and expressed concern by upper-level management is also vital
in the importance of relevancy during this process.
Prior to conducting the
interview an affidavit expressing the fact that all responses to the interview
will remain within the company should be signed by an executive and presented to
the departing employee. With the
knowledge that future employers will not have access to this information, the
interviewee will be less likely to “sugar coat” his/her responses.
After presenting the affidavit the interview shall begin by encouraging
blunt and even brutal honesty, such as naming names, to get to the root of the
reason for their resignation. After
the completion of questioning allow the interviewee to offer any input or
suggestions related to any ground not previously covered in the questionnaire
As a group we have established fifteen questions that we
recommend would allow an employee to view his or her opinions and ideas while
maintaining focused objectives to be met for the employer, mainly “why did the
employee chose to leave? Upon
completion of the interview the results should be immediately reviewed in order
to evaluate or make changes to company policy or procedures.
Why perform an exit interview if it is not going to be put to immediate
and valuable use? They should not
be compiled for later interpretation. They
should be studied at this time in order to determine if any changes need to be
made.
1.
Would you like for us to be a reference for you? (Only if you would
recommend this employee.)
2.
What prompted your job search? Why are you leaving our company?
3.
What is most appealing about the new position?
4.
What did you like most about your job?
5.
What did you like least about your job?
6.
What does the new job offer that this job does not?
7.
How do you view the supervision and management you received?
8.
Did you receive reasonable or fair responsibilities and/or duties?
9.
Were you challenged through your workload?
10.
How do you feel the company is run?
11.
Do you feel you were compensated fairly?
12.
What do you think would improve conditions, production, or morale and
why?
13.
Under what conditions would you have stayed?
14.
Is there any area we have not covered that you would like to comment on?
15.
If there is any subject that you did not feel comfortable discussing in
person please feel free to write us your comments.
We value your input.
During the interview, the employee and interviewer shall
feel free to discuss any areas in which the employer deems it necessary, while
also following the recommended questions we have proposed.
The interviewer should be more concerned with genuine listening than
recording the words. Writing down the key points while the interview takes place
is encouraged, and then follow up with more complete statements after the
interview has finished. During the
interview, the interviewer should also take mental notes of the reactions to the
questions and the answers as well. The interview information should then be
synthesized into concise statements and sorted into the various areas such as
company culture, leadership-management, benefits, and improvements in
efficiency.
With the type of questions we propose asking, it can be
difficult to quantify the information, but in turn, this information must be
relayed to upper management, genuinely discussed, considering the qualitative
implications discovered and filed as historical data for continuous improvement
of the company. The benefits of an exit interview are considerable.
Interviewing departing employees for their opinions on how things worked
in their departments and in the firm overall can give the personnel department
useful information. This information can guide the creations of new policies and
improve areas such as employee supervision, training, and performance.
After the report is typed up, top management, human resources director, and the interviewer should meet to discuss the information. It is important to also look at how these groups view the company and then decide if incorporating improvements or changes are necessary and needed in order to create a more personal, satisfying culture in the company.
After researching the topic of exit interviews and the importance of recruitment and retaining it is our recommendation that companies establish a procedure that allows the company to listen, discuss, and learn from valuable employees as to why they have chosen to leave a specific company. The exit interview has been used in all industries for gaining knowledge of internal weaknesses and strengths. The information is then organized into an action plan with the goal of improving the company for mutual benefit between employer and employee.