Do Exit Interviews Really Matter During Crisis Time?
Tags: Employees, Exit Interview, HR, Senior Exit Interviews, Leavers

An exit interview is an important part of the offboarding process. However, do exit interviews really matter during crisis time?

Exit interviews usually help employers to assess areas within the company and/or specific departments that require development. In times of crisis such as the one we are currently experiencing, creating and implementing effective and consistent exit interviews can seem challenging and time-consuming.

While exit interview practices and policies vary widely according to company size and industry, exit interviews should be reserved for voluntary separations.

Layoffs and terminations do not require exit interviews simply because employees were separated from their job against their willingness. Their feedback will not be accurate neither helpful to the organization.

Exit interviews data generated during crisis time

The insights gained from understanding the connection between employee feedback, behavior, and organizational trends might, and might not tell you everything you need to know. Using information gleaned from exit interviews can be a data analysis challenge. As more people than ever are losing their jobs due to COVID-19, does this indicate a wealth of data that should be mined?.

HR analysis of the feedback received to gain insight into workplace culture will not be as valuable as you expect. The climate of uncertainty that follows mass layoff always guarantees a reduction in the quality of the staff, not just the quantity. Employers should expect that employees will be leaving. Talented employees will certainly leave profit-first organizations when the business cycle returns to growth stage and employees have their choice of jobs.

If you feel that you are prepared to act on what you are going to learn from exit interviews, use a form that employees complete on their own instead of video conference. Employees may be more honest if they don’t have to answer questions face to face.

The patterns reflected in the data from exit interviews will tell you what solutions are needed. Yet, too often, companies collect information in exit interviews and do nothing with it. If the data collected is honest, HR might be reluctant and skeptical to share it with the right decision-makers.

Questions to ask during exit interviews

Generally you will start with why the employee is leaving. Do not expect employees to tell you about how unfair was the mistreatment of their colleagues? or their feedback on the mass layoffs in the organization?. Focus your questions more on whether their manager could have done anything differently to keep them there, and what the employee thinks their new company will do better.

We all understand that the experience of employees during crisis time is difficult and not pleasant due to different factors. However, you can ask questions about whether communication was good or bad? What made it that way? What practices or working conditions were beneficial and should be maintained or enhanced?

An employee leaving the organization during these unprecedented times will not provide a neutral assessment of employees morale.

You will probably want to follow a similar line of questioning if you request a written response. However, keep in mind that the employee probably won’t want to spend a lot of time on it.

If done well, exit interviews can help employers collating data on departing employees, measuring the mood and impression the company has on its workers.

Ask HR

Employees look to the HR as their guide and voice in the workplace. Competent HR reps would have a good understanding of the employees morale at workplace. Science has proved that “trusting your gut” isn’t a metaphor. If you’ve got a sinking suspicion that all is not well with an employee, there’s a good chance that you’re not wrong.

HR is interacting with employees more than CEOs. They can be key to understand what is going on in the workplace and be an inspiration at the same time.

Change the convention that HR is an auxiliary department!. HR is the backbone of any workplace, and they would know the different issues employees are facing. For example, HR knows if an employee is absent most of the time, is less interested, was recently passed over for a promotion or raise, has stagnated in his or her position or has started complaining. HR can even know how employees feel about the decisions taken by the management during crisis time.