Exit Interviews
Description of using exit interviews as a recruitment and retention strategy.
Overview
Regular staff reviews and opportunities (annual surveys, networking, staff meetings) need to be made available for employees to discuss factors that may improve retention. This may be generic or confidential depending on the content the individual wishes to discuss. Interviews do not have to be conducted ‘face to face’. It is important to structure the meeting to enable the best means of communication between the employee and the organisation. This may be through written communication (followed up with a meeting), or via telecommunications.
How to implement
Success factors
Exit interviews work best if conducted prior to the individuals last day of employment. This allows the orgainsation to engage with the employee to try and resolve the reason for resignation, and has the potential to retain the worker, by discussing reasons why they intended to resign (Bragg & Bonner. 2015). Organisation’s can then attempt to anticipate problems and use this ‘window of opportunity' for retention.
Once potentially negative trends are discovered; employee engagement and satisfaction should increase. Content employees will lead to less turnover, saving time and money for the organisation. This may lead to the identification of significant areas contributing to increased turnover.
If the process is adequately conducted, and the data sufficiently analysed and actioned, a greater awareness of the efficiency and effectiveness of management and organisational processes will be achieved. All these factors will contribute to an overall improvement of the induction process.
Challenges
Employees feel that it is the organisation's responsibility to approach them, to negotiate their reasons for resignation. Their needs to be the opportunity for effective two-way communication.
The quality of the data collected is important. The usefulness of an exit interview depends on the honesty of the departing employee. The timing of the exit interview is crucial. If the interview is conducted on the last day of employment, it is likely that the employee has already disengaged, making the possibility of retention unlikely.
A decision needs to be made on who is best placed to conduct the exit interview, to ensure the quality of data. This may be a member of the organisation or an external body. A consultant is less personal, but may extract more honest answers.
Organisations need to be mindful that they don’t focus solely on financial compensation as a retention strategy. Recognise that it may be a Human Resource issue that is contributing to the employee’s decision to leave, so the relevant questions need to be asked.
Evidence base
Hall DJ, Garnett ST, Barnes T, Stevens M. Drivers of professional mobility in the Northern Territory: dental professionals. Rural and Remote Health (Internet) 2007; 7: 655. Available: http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=655
Rohatinsky NK, Jahner S. Supporting nurses’ transition to rural healthcare environments through mentorship. Rural and Remote Health (Internet) 2016; 16: 3637. Available: http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=3637
Connected to the following Framework elements
- Assess population service needs
- Align service model with population needs
- Develop profile of target recruits
- Relevant professional development
- Training future professionals