Leave Emotions Out Of It
This one can be easier said than done, especially if you didnt take the time to sort through your emotions ahead of time.
You want to respond, not react. When you let your emotions take the lead, you are at risk of saying things that you regret. Even if you have absolutely zero interest in ever having a connection to this company in the future you dont want an emotional outburst to be the last thing they remember you by.
There have been countless accounts of people using former employers as references, and even coming back to their old company. Whether or not your old boss is still there doesnt matter if you burnt that bridge, intended or not.
Be candid, but respectful and constructive. When you say negative things out of emotion, they likely wont be heard anyways. Comment on the actions of your employer that ended up influencing your decision to resign, but not in a way that is pointing fingers. Present this information in a way that will be received as constructive advice on what not to continue in the future.
Ask yourself if what you are about to say is helpful, or if you just want the person on the receiving end of your answer to feel how much you disliked them or your job. Does your answer change?
Why Do Projects Fail
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
In their blog post, “31 Pivotal Project Management Statistics for 2021,” TeamStage, a project management think tank composed of project managers, reports that 70% of all projects fail.
They go on to list another set of alarming statistics:
- 42% of companies do not understand the need or importance of project management
- 55% of project managers cite budget overrun as the top reason for project failures
- the project management profession was set to grow by more than 6 trillion USD by the end of 2020
- 62% of successful projects had supportive sponsors
In my opinion, the top reason for most of the failures that I have encountered on projects is the lack of a robust project execution plan. No matter the school of thought used to manage a project, it is highly important to use a project execution plan in order to cover all of the work and contextual elements that are part of a project. In some industries, it is actually a requirement for customers to do business with you.
Take Advantage Of This Opportunity To Obtain Information
Sometimes the format of the exit interview is only intended for you to provide information to the company. Other times the meeting follows a semi-open structure, with an opportunity for conversation. If you need to, this is your chance to ask questions about yourself and the company, keeping in mind that you wont have many more opportunities to get that information from your supervisors.
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Remember The Good Times
Exit interviews dont have to be entirely doom and gloom! Ultimately, if your employer is conducting an exit interview, they either are a good employer or are aspiring to be one. Barring an inordinately horrible experience, you likely had some good times at the company.
Dont hesitate to bring up what you liked about working there and how the role helped you develop in your career. Being gracious throughout your departure will reflect well on you, and your employer will appreciate it to boot.
Dont Lead The Conversation Guide It
As the interviewer, you might feel a temptation to lead the conversation to the topics you badly want to talk about. This is especially true of founders, who often feel passionately about the business they have built and have strong ideas about how they think it should be run.
However, its a mistake to seize control of this conversation. By all means, guide it to the topics you think might be relevant, but the goal is to hear what the leaver has to say – so let them take the interview where they want to take it.
You may find that it yields unexpected and surprising answers.
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+ Most Commonly Asked Exit Interview Questions And Answers
Read These Sample Exit Interview Questions and Answers to Prepare for The Upcoming Exit Interview. We have Also Included Questions Employees Can Ask The Employer:
Be it big or small, every company loses employees now and then. Turnover could be hard to deal with but before the employees leave, the employers must do one last thing i.e the Exit Interview.
Both the employers as well as the employees dread this final sit-down alike. For employers, it is an opportunity to gather valuable feedback that can be used to improve themselves as they walk into the future. For employees, it is a chance to hash out what they loved about the job and what made them dissatisfied enough to leave it.
However, both of them should know what to ask. Asking the right questions is the key insight for both the employers as well as employees. Here we have gathered a set of questions that will help you with your side of feedback.
What You Will Learn:
Examples Of Good Exit Interview Questions
The foundation of any interview is, of course, the questions.
Always bear in mind that when formulating questions for an exit interview, the purpose is to understand how and why the employee feels the way they do, not merely to extract business-valuable information in the most efficient way possible.
The benefits of conducting exit interviews depend on asking the right questions. Exit interviewing may seem like something anyone can do, but survey design is easy to bias unintentionally. Questions need to be refined to minimize bias and to probe to uncover rich insights. Camille Patrick, The Real Value of Getting an Exit Interview Right
Below is a list of 10 tried and tested questions that you should consider integrating into your interview process. Some of them only apply if the employee is transitioning to a new job.
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The Exit Interview Process
Its quite a simple process, really. All you need to do is create your questions and then make sure you hold the employee exit interview when theyre set to leave.
You can follow the below set structure of common exit survey examples:
- Organise your exit interview process and where youll hold them.
- Allow for a two-way conversation.
- Remind employees the process is confidential.
- Analyse the feedback you receive once the interview is over.
- Take into consideration opportunities to improve your business infrastructure if you find consistent reasons for employees departure.
When launching the process to all staff, explain youll use it to measure employee experience. You should also ensure all employees have an exit interview when they leavethat provides a consistent approach across your business.
However, in conducting an exit interview, you must ensure your business is truly committed to improving the employee experience in your organisation.
And that all managers are prepared to receive honest feedback that will enable them to target issues if they should arise.
What Were Your Criteria For Choosing A New Employer
Your answer to this question will help your organization gain insight as to why you chose a different employer or position. Share the specific reasons you searched for a new job. For example, your new role may include benefits not provided by your current employer. Provide examples, and be honest in your assessments.
Example:In my new position, my employer will provide additional training so that I can advance my position. With the resources I will have available, I expect to earn my sales certification within six months.
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A Guide To Giving Feedback Without Burning Bridges
An exit interview probably isnât the first thing on your mind when you decide to quit your job â nor should it be â but at some point, the issue is probably going to surface. After all, at many companies, an exit interview is a standard part of the offboarding process, right along with notifying your team of your departure or returning your computer to the IT department.
While exit interviews provide you with a great opportunity to make your voice heard, they can also provoke anxiety: what if your soon-to-be-former employer doesnât like what you have to say? When handled correctly, though, exit interviews are no cause for worry. In fact, they can provide you with closure, put you at ease and help you move onto your next great opportunity.
In this guide, weâll share how to prepare for an exit interview so that you provide your employer with the feedback they need while avoiding bad blood and burnt bridges.
The Basics Of An Exit Interview
So, what is an exit interview, exactly? The exit interview is a conversation between the employer and the exiting employee. The goal of the conversation is to ask the employee questions about the company, the employees supervisor, and the job the employee had.
Sometimes, the conversation is just some paperwork the employee fills out and returns. The exit interview is also known as the employee exit survey or an exit interview survey.
There are seven steps for exit interviews, including:
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Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions And Answers
These Exit Interview Questions below are considered as frequently being asked during the job interview. Learn how to respond the best to get prepared for the questions that will be handed to you from the person interviewing you.
1. Tell Me A Little Bit About Yourself
Although it may seem easy, its a crucial one that a majority of job applicants fail to prepare. Instead of providing a lengthy history of employment, provide an effective and concise response that shows why youre going be a good fit for the job youre offered.
2. Why Do You Want To Work Here?
Giving out a generic answer to this question is likely to result in you losing the chance to stand out from the sea of job applicants. Do some research on the company before you answer it and describe what makes it appealing and distinctive to you. You may also tell about what youve observed about how it grows and changes when you first heard about it. Next, you should focus on the growth opportunities it has and how you may provide the benefit.
3. Why Should We Hire You?
This question seems quite direct and intimidating, but this is likely your best chance to highlight your abilities and skills. The trick is to offer an answer that shows how you will be able to do the job and produce a top result. Also, you must be part of the work culture, environment and team, and that you are the most suitable candidate amongst other job candidates.
Decide Who Will Host The Interview
Who conducts the exit interview is an important part of the process. As the employer, do you want to be present? Or, do you want to have the manager or supervisor oversee the exit interview? Another option is to have an impartial party, such as a representative from HR, sit down with the employee for the interview.
Ask yourself what the goal of the exit interview is. If you want an impartial review, consider having a member of HR sit in with the exiting employee. Do you want to send the message to the employee that there are no hard feelings? If so, you may want to sit down with the employee yourself or have the employees direct supervisor or manager hold the meeting.
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Do You Feel That You Were Properly Prepared With The Training Provided
The way you answer this question will be helpful to future new hires and your employer alike. Do you feel like your expectations given your prior knowledge and skill levels were fair, or did you feel neglected and left to figure things out on your own?
The best answer to this question is as specific as possible so that your employer can make the appropriate adjustments. Dont just say you didnt feel prepared say that you were expected to operate machinery outside of your skill level after only a brief demonstration.
Create A Targeted Employee Retention Program
According to Workable, there are a number of components that go into creating an employee retention program.
The first is accurately measuring your turnover rate so you have a good understanding of where you stand compared to industry benchmarks.
Then develop an employee compensation strategy based on the value of each employee. Make sure you are rewarding the right employees to build loyalty. Offering stock options can be an effective way to do this, or simply providing extra benefits like discounts and tickets when the employee exceeds expectations.
A third, and arguably the most important component, is the working environment.
Although compensation is a factor, ultimately, people stay in jobs they enjoy. You should, therefore, make sure that your work environment attracts, retains and nourishes great people. Casual dress codes or free lunches, snacks and gym memberships are great perks that dont cost much.Christina Pavlou, How to Create an Employee Retention Program
Also, consider employees work-life balance. Listen to employees needs and offer flexible work schedules to ensure they are not being overworked.
Other components of an employee retention program include relationship with managers, personal development, and recognition. You can read more about them here.
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What Did You Like Most About Your Job
While the main goal of exit interviews is to get constructive feedback, that doesnt mean you wont have the opportunity to highlight any positives.
In a typical exit interview, youll be asked what aspects of your position you liked the most. Whether it was a particular job duty, your team members, or the weekly happy hours, your company wants to know what made you look forward to coming in each day. This knowledge helps your manager not only continue to expand on these positive attributes, but also play up the appealing traits when listing your position!
Think About The End Goal
With that said, it’s understandable to want to be brutally honest in an exit interview if you had a difficult working experience with a company. Consider: “At end of day what will bring you peace?” Jay says. “What will make you feel happy and satisfied?”
Envision what you hope to achieve by sharing negative feedback: Are you hoping someone gets in trouble, or that your experience will change how management is run? Consider what the consequences will be for those who remain with the organization, as well as your personal connection with the workplace.
On the other end of the spectrum, if discussing a difficult work environment “brings up past trauma, hurt or PTSD, you don’t need to rehash it,” Jay says.
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What You Liked Most About Your Job And The Company
Include positive elements of your experience at the organization what you liked and appreciated most about the job, your team, and the organization. Just as individuals need to hear positive feedback to know what they should continue doing, so do organizations. This could include specific benefits offered, investments made in your learning and development, or an aspect of the company culture that you most valued.
Bring Your Exit Interview Checklist
Its likely your employer will have an interview exit checklist they need to cover off but theres no reason you cant bring one, too.
This will be highly useful if you know you have a number of main points to cover but are worried that you might forget to mention one, or that it might come across poorly if worded the wrong way. Formulating your own checklist can help you prepare, stay focused and ensure you make your point without causing offense if you were to mention it off the cuff.
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How Well Your Job Was Structured And If You Had The Appropriate Tools To Succeed
To what extent was your job meaningful and motivating, allowing you to do the work you most enjoy? Did your manager create opportunities for you to use your strengths? Youll also want to share the extent to which you felt your manager supported you and helped clear obstacles, and whether you felt like you had had the appropriate resources to do your job well. These include things like budget, people, and other tools, such as the appropriate software to make your job easier.
What Is The Best Method To Conduct An Exit Interview
There is a range of different ways to collect the information necessary for a good exit interview, as listed below:
- Face-to-face discussion
- Online video interview
- Online survey
You can also use a combination of methods. For example, an online survey can be used to complement a face-to-face interview. Also, a short questionnaire sent to the employee prior to a face-to-face discussion can clarify talking points and the general direction of the meeting so that in-person time can be used more effectively.
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