After the Exit Interview, Now What?

In my last post, Ten Reasons for an Exit Interview (with Purpose), I described why you should always execute an exit interview with departing employees.  So, you did the exit interview and got some feedback.  What are you supposed to do now?

First of all, you may actually receive positive feedback from the departing employee!  Don’t be shocked!  If you are doing some things right, be excited and appreciative for the compliments.  However, for the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on the not-so-positive feedback.  What do you do with that?

• Do nothing at all.

  I am just kidding!  (Just out of curiosity, did you find that to be ridiculous advice in this context?)  Unfortunately, that is exactly what most people do with this information.  If they even complete an exit interview at all, it is most likely done to complete a checklist of termination paperwork.  Then the potentially valuable information is discarded as unworthy of their time!  Or maybe the feedback was painful and difficult to face head-on.  Regardless of the reasons, this is NOT a recommended step to take!  Read on…

• Validate the feedback.

  Sometimes you will simply get sour grapes from a disgruntled employee.  While this is sometimes true, it is a mistake to assume it will always be that way.  Take what you heard, sift through the emotions (yours and theirs!), and find the nuggets.  If you have not observed the issues yourself, consult other employees that you know to be objective.  Get their perspective.  Simply put, do your homework and find out if there is validity to what you heard.  Pray for wisdom and discernment as you do this!

• Determine if there is a pattern.

  What if you find the issue(s) to be true?  Okay, so something went wrong or a part of your business did not meet your standards.  Maybe you received negative feedback about you or your style.  What next?  Find out if it was a one-time problem or, more likely, a pattern.  Is it the result of a broken process or an isolated personality conflict?  Don’t gloss this over.  Dig through the rubble or smoke and determine the root.  If it is an isolated situation, move on to the next issue.  If it is a pattern, read on…

• Find the best solution(s) and correct the problem.

  While this sounds simple, it is too often left undone.  Even if you remained objective through this whole exit interview process, it is possible that remaining employees may not.  They may be holding the sour grapes!  Whatever the situation, if the issue you have uncovered is legitimate, you need to push through to correct it and make sure it does not reappear.

• Follow up with the ex-employee – thank them!

  Why not?  Do not allow pride or busyness keep you from thanking them for their productive feedback.  Let them know of your appreciation as well as your efforts to take action.  You do not have to go into detail about what you found.  Just let them know that their words did not fall on deaf ears.  They will appreciate it and you will be blessed as a result.

• Commit to 100% execution of exit interviews in the future!

  Assuming you followed the whole process from beginning to end, then you can see the benefits of completing exit interviews with every departing employee.  If your company is too big for you to do them personally, then assign the responsibility to someone else, but make sure they grasp the value of the process.  Communicate to them the importance you place on the feedback.  Set up the process to make sure there is accountability in its execution!

What is your experience?

Are there any steps you would add?

Have you committed to exit interviews?