In the knowledge economy, skilled employees are the assets that drive
organizational success. Thus companies must learn from them—why they
stay, why they leave, and how the organization needs to change. A
thoughtful exit interview—whether it be a face-to-face conversation, a
questionnaire, a survey, or a combination—can catalyze leaders’
listening skills, reveal what does or doesn’t work inside the
organization, highlight hidden challenges and opportunities, and
generate essential competitive intelligence. It can promote engagement
and enhance retention by signaling to employees that their views matter.
And it can turn departing employees into corporate ambassadors for
years to come. Unfortunately, too few leaders pay attention to this
tool; their programs fail to either improve retention or produce useful
information. The authors believe this is owing to poor data quality and a
lack of consensus on best practices. They suggest six overall goals for
a strategic exit interview process and describe tactics and techniques
to make it successful. Among their recommendations: Have interviews
conducted by second- or third-line managers. Make exit interviews
mandatory for at least some employees. And because standard interviews
enable you to spot trends, but unstructured ones elicit unexpected
insights, consider combining the two approaches in semistructured
interviews.
[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]