Preparation for Exit Interview

 When employee leave a company, the employer will do an interview, just like when he first walked in to apply for a job, but this time they will ask a series of questions to find out why he decided to quit.

Industry sources say that exit interviews have yet to take root in the human resources (HR) function of many local businesses, but they are a commonplace in global, multinational companies in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East.

Exit surveys only have one end goal: to get the departing staff member to divulge the real reasons for leaving in order to improve management practices and build a better workplace.In a fluid labour market like the UAE, attrition rates remain high and many people quit their jobs for a better opportunity. The common refrain HR personnel hear from leavers centre around lack of remuneration, recognition, career progression and concrete job description. There are also issues about uncooperative managers and peer problems.

For leavers who have unresolved issues, it may be tempting to use an exit interview as a venue to vent frustrations about company policies or discredit colleagues. Recruitment specialists, however, caution against turning the last sit-down with HR into a rant session, because doing so could endanger one’s career.

Some important points to keep in mind in an exit survey

Avoid badmouthing anyone Anything said during exit interviews are supposed to be kept confidential, but in many organisations, this is not the case. Words can travel like wildfire and the employee who is leaving could get into trouble even before the work permit gets the cancellation stamp.

If you remain in the similar industry, the likelihood is a lot of people know everyone and when it comes to things like reference checking and if you have been badmouthing, it will reflect badly on you. There’s no need to do it especially in a small market like the UAE.

 

Present negative feedback constructively

There are many employees who leave their jobs because they are not happy either with their boss, colleagues or the way things are going in their organisation.

If you really feel strongly about certain issues, you don’t have to keep your mouth shut. Try to sound off complaints without burning bridges and instead, make some suggestions on how things can get better and back up your claims with facts,emotions should not deter you from your end goal and under no circumstances should you lose control.

So, for instance, you don’t have a good relationship with your boss, don’t just say you dislike your manager. A constructive way of putting the message across is by being more specific as to why you and your supervisor don’t get a long very well.

The feedback should be constructive. Professional organisations understand that information received during exit interviews is a vital feedback that can help improve the work culture.

If you really want to play it safe when making negative comments, it may be a good idea not to mention names. If there are areas of improvement to make, the departing employee should aim to provide suggestions and ensure that the responses do not contain specific employee names,try to focus the answers on improving the system and how it can impact the organisation.

Prepare for the interview

Before heading down to the HR office, it is always recommended that you’re able to anticipate what questions to answer and how to best answer them.

The leaving employee will most likely be asked about the main reason for leaving, what could have been done better or how an individual feels about the organisation.Of course, during the conversation, there will be more specific questions pertaining to specific issues brought to the table. At worst, it’s an uncomfortable process, but you will live to fight another day..

It is also a good idea to think about what you’re going to say about your relationship with your colleagues and managers, as well as your career development. Stay as positive as you can. Talk about your learning at the organisation and why your stay benefited both you and the company.It is ideal to write down the key points that you want to address and make sure the discussion remains both structured and objective. In the end, you want to get your point across while leaving with the possibility of having a good reference going forward. You never know who you will be working with in the future and would not want to compromise that.