Stop Making Exit Interviews a Pointless Waste of Time

Before starting my own professional trivia production company in NYC, I spent over a decade working as employee at a variety of places, just like most of us do. I can’t say that I enjoyed all of those experiences – in fact, because my career path was anything but straight and well-defined, I often found myself working jobs that I absolutely detested.

By the time I was ready to leave and put in my notice, I was fired up, man – looking forward to that exit interview. I was gonna lay it all out there, let them know exactly how messed up the place was, how frustrated and angry I was and why, and bring proof of the many times I’d been wronged. Part of it was me wanting an opportunity to vent, of course – but mostly it was a genuine desire to right some wrongs: fellow employees being mistreated, managers getting away with stuff that they shouldn’t, lack of development opportunities and incentives, poor morale. And I’d follow through on it, too; I was always polite and professional, since it’s important to leave a job in the best way possible – yet during those exit interviews, I was always honest about my experience.

Know what the result was? Every time?

Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

I’d be inclined to chalk it up to my own lack of influence in workplaces I probably didn’t belong in anyway – however, I know for a fact that I’m not alone. Everybody I’ve ever talked to who has left a job – and I’m betting this includes you – has provided feedback during their exit interview on what didn’t meet their expectations, what the organization could do better. And everybody who has kept in touch with the firm after they’ve gone, either informally as friends or as a hired consultant, has always reported the same thing from colleagues who are still there: nothing’s changed.

Of course, there are exceptions to be made; if a longtime senior manager leaves or there’s huge turnover, a merger, or other unusual workplace event than sure, change can happen. But by and large, companies do what they do and frankly, employee happiness just isn’t one of those things senior management spends much time dwelling on.

This is unfortunate. The employee exit interview is a wonderful opportunity for leaders who genuinely want to learn and grow to discover those elusive “known unknowns” – things that your staff knows and feels about the company, the workplace and you personally, yet which you yourself can’t see. It’s a window into your employees’ true emotions and motivations, since people who are no longer afraid of losing their jobs won’t hold back as much as those who are.

Let’s put some meaning back into the exit interview, and not simply go through the motions. Rather than dismissing the feedback gleaned from former employees (if such feedback even makes it to your desk at all), as a leader of people you have a chance to learn valuable information about how you’re doing – and what you may need to do differently.

Take advantage of it.