When an employee resigns, oftentimes the employer asks “why?” What is the individual’s primary reason for leaving? Did something trigger his/her decision? What does the new company offer that the old one doesn’t? With so many unanswered questions many companies conduct exit interviews asking questions such as:
- What is your primary reason for leaving?
- What was most satisfying about your job?
- What was least satisfying about your job?
- Were you happy with your pay, benefits and other incentives?
There are thoughts that holding an exit interview with the departing employee will allow a company to promote positive “PR” with the departing employee. The value to the company is that it may receive feedback from the departing employee encompassing compensation, working conditions, management, etc. Perhaps also uncovering employee concerns and details about what they enjoyed most, and least, about the organization. If the company actually uses the information collected in an exit interview, the exit interview process can be useful to the company.
However, the best time for an employer to discuss the concerns of the employee is when the individual is an employee – not when the individual is on the way out the door.
Communication is a two-way process, yet typically companies are most efficient at communicating downward. Getting the flow of communication to change direction and move upwards is a bit of a challenge! In situations where employees feel that information is being kept from them, the rumor-mill will take over. Lack of communication with employees will create a level of mistrust and negative perceptions will be developed. To minimize this, a company must develop ongoing, open communication with employees.
If a company restricts communication to the evaluation process only, the company must improve the process to allow the collection of the information in a timely fashion. Waiting to have a meaningful conversation with an employee on an annual basis only will not allow the company to respond to issues in a timely manner. In that scenario it may be too late to make changes and valuable human “resources” will be lost. Adjust your evaluation process to encompass conversations on a quarterly basis. Managers must take steps to improve their listening skills and to encourage ongoing, meaningful interaction with their team members. Managers must listen to employee concerns and be prepared to act on them.
To promote better communication with employees, there are other options:
- Obtain employee feedback through employee satisfaction surveys. Allow the employees anonymity to provide more candid feedback. Look for trends in responses.
- Hold monthly or quarterly “town hall” meetings and promote open communication with your employees.
- Hold informal luncheons to allow employees an opportunity for more “informal” communication.
- Develop “suggestion boxes” and then openly address the suggestions with your employees.
Remember, sometimes an employee’s decision to leave a company is personal. But sometimes, just sometimes, that decision may have been different.
- What is your primary reason for leaving?
- What was most satisfying about your job?
- What was least satisfying about your job?
- Were you happy with your pay, benefits and other incentives?
There are thoughts that holding an exit interview with the departing employee will allow a company to promote positive “PR” with the departing employee. The value to the company is that it may receive feedback from the departing employee encompassing compensation, working conditions, management, etc. Perhaps also uncovering employee concerns and details about what they enjoyed most, and least, about the organization. If the company actually uses the information collected in an exit interview, the exit interview process can be useful to the company.
However, the best time for an employer to discuss the concerns of the employee is when the individual is an employee – not when the individual is on the way out the door.
Communication is a two-way process, yet typically companies are most efficient at communicating downward. Getting the flow of communication to change direction and move upwards is a bit of a challenge! In situations where employees feel that information is being kept from them, the rumor-mill will take over. Lack of communication with employees will create a level of mistrust and negative perceptions will be developed. To minimize this, a company must develop ongoing, open communication with employees.
If a company restricts communication to the evaluation process only, the company must improve the process to allow the collection of the information in a timely fashion. Waiting to have a meaningful conversation with an employee on an annual basis only will not allow the company to respond to issues in a timely manner. In that scenario it may be too late to make changes and valuable human “resources” will be lost. Adjust your evaluation process to encompass conversations on a quarterly basis. Managers must take steps to improve their listening skills and to encourage ongoing, meaningful interaction with their team members. Managers must listen to employee concerns and be prepared to act on them.
To promote better communication with employees, there are other options:
- Obtain employee feedback through employee satisfaction surveys. Allow the employees anonymity to provide more candid feedback. Look for trends in responses.
- Hold monthly or quarterly “town hall” meetings and promote open communication with your employees.
- Hold informal luncheons to allow employees an opportunity for more “informal” communication.
- Develop “suggestion boxes” and then openly address the suggestions with your employees.
Remember, sometimes an employee’s decision to leave a company is personal. But sometimes, just sometimes, that decision may have been different.
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