How to Improve Exit Interview Participation Rates Part II

From Beth N. Carvin

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs


Analyzing Your Exit Interviews Process

If you decide that your participation rate in exit interviews could stand improvement, the next step is to analyze your current exit interview process. The two most important areas for review are:

1. Why are employees choosing not to complete the exit interview?
2. Are there logistical problems preventing human resources from getting the information to employees in a timely and effective manner?

Employees Not Completing Their Exit Interview

Some of the reasons that employees choose not to complete exit interviews are:

• The exit interview is too long.
• The exit interview questions are confusing or personally invasive.
• The employee doesn’t believe that the exit interview will be read or make a difference.
• The employee is afraid of repercussions.
• The employee is angry at the company.
• The employee procrastinates or forgets.
• The process is difficult or uncomfortable.

If you are using an exit interview survey with rated questions, 35-60 questions is about the right survey length. More than 60 questions begins to feel long and uncomfortable for the employee. If you surpass 70 questions, you should be prepared for higher numbers of uncompleted exit interviews.

Review your exit interview questions for simplicity. Put yourself in the employee’s shoes and ask yourself how you would feel answering the questions. Avoid a lot of exit interview questions that ask for feelings and emotions. Many employees are not in tune with their feelings (or if they are they may not want to share them with you). It is a lot easier for an employee to rate the effectiveness of a process rather than how they feel about the process.

Exit Interview Feedback Ignored

Employees will not complete their exit interviews if they believe that the feedback they provide will not be read or will be promptly ignored. It is important to let employees know that you value their feedback. When you do make improvements based on suggestions from exit interviews, don’t be afraid to tell employees where the idea came from. Over time, employees will learn that you do listen. Once this becomes a part of the corporate culture, you can be assured of lots of open and honest ideas, suggestions and critiques.

Repercussions From Honest Feedback

Also be clear with employees that honest feedback will not result in repercussions. Statements made on an exit interview should never be used to prevent future eligibility for re-hire. There are many supposed experts that tell employees not to be honest on their exit interview form or not to complete one at all. They claim that companies use this information against the employees. Human Resource professionals know that this is nonsense, however, they still must battle this unfounded perception.

Angry Employee Feedback

Employees that are angry with the company may feel they don’t want to help by participating in the exit interview. These employees can be encouraged to vent their anger in the exit interview. Many of these angry employees are thrilled with the chance to have their voice heard – particularly if they know that it will be heard by senior management.

A clean and simplified process is also important. Whether it is web-based or paper and pencil, the exit interview form should be laid out nicely with an intuitive and easy to understand survey form.