When an employee decides to leave their position, there is usually a reason. Sometimes it is as simple as a life change or opportunity to go in another direction with their career. Other times it may be due to issues inside the company. One of the best ways to find out what is going on is by doing an exit interview. Often this step is skipped or overlooked which can perpetuate any issues looming within your company. Keep in mind the employee has taken a lot into consideration before reaching the point of resignation. As a manager, you should want to find out exactly what the reasons are behind their decision in order to address any underlying issues. This may also mend any bridges, build trust or even get the employee to change their mind (although that should never be the goal). The overall goal is to obtain any helpful information from the exiting employee that may improve your company or systems moving forward. Below are 3 tips on how to get the most out of exit interviews.

Schedule Early

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to wait until the employees last day to schedule an exit interview. If they have given a notice, try to schedule your exit interview as soon as possible while the information is still fresh. Keep in mind that exit interviews are completely voluntary. If you wait 2 weeks, the employee is likely not focusing on why they are leaving and has refocused on where they are going so they will be less likely to give you the information you need or even bother to do an exit interview at all. Give yourself the best chances by discussing it immediately so you can address any major issues early on. For example, If you find that the employee is leaving due to a bigger issue, such as harassment, that is something you are going to need to address immediately to keep from further issues arising in the future.

Get Prepared

As a manager, when an employee resigns your immediate next step should be to start preparing for an exit interview. Gather all the information you will need and develop specific topics or concerns you want to address with the employee. Focus your questions on them, their thoughts and feelings rather than on others that may have been involved. Remember, this is their story. Do your best to get to the root of the issue they may have had and be open to criticism. Keep in mind it’s an opportunity for improvement.

More Listening, Less Talking

Ask open ended questions like “What specifically was the ultimate cause for your resignation?” and allow the employee the opportunity to do most of the talking. The objective is to find out exactly what caused them to choose to leave. Refrain from getting defensive if they have management complaints, they may have some good points you can address within your own systems in the future. Once the employee has given you the full reason for leaving and has felt heard, you can take the opportunity to try to address those issues if you want to try to retain the employee.

When an employee chooses to leave their position, they walk away with a lot of information and emotions. A successful exit interview can help determine how they feel when they leave along with giving you any valuable information you may need moving forward. Choosing to skip the exit interview could possibly be a big mistake on your part. If they leave without being heard, they are likely going to speak to people outside of the company about their experience. Take control of the situation by addressing the issues first.