When an employee has been terminated, or has decided to leave your company, conducting an exit interview is an important part of the process. Exit interviews are an opportunity to gain objective insights into what your employees think is right and wrong about your organization. When done properly, exit interviews can help to identify and resolve workplace problems, minimize resentment and misunderstanding when employees leave, and boost employee retention in the future.

Exit interviews are valuable whether the termination is involuntary or voluntary, and they can generate a huge amount of useful information about your organization’s working environment. Another benefit of exit interviews is that they can help tip up loose ends with the departing employee, and may also head off the unpleasant repercussions that can arise from an unpleasant dismissal situation. An exit interview is typically conducted one to two days before an employee’s separation date. The purposes of an exit interview include things such as:

• Identifying the reason the employee is leaving the organization, if the termination is voluntary
• Reiterate the reason for dismissal, if the termination is involuntary, in order to identify any areas of misunderstanding
• Explain any conversion or continuation of benefits
• Verify the employee’s address for mailing important documents and information such as the IRS W-2 Form
• Explain the organization’s policy on providing references
• Discuss the return of any employer property

To ensure that the exit interview goes smoothly, it is important for the interview to be conducted by a neutral party such as a member of the HR department, or another member of upper management. Many experts feel that having the employee’s supervisor present at the exit interview can inhibit the conversation. It is important to create an atmosphere that the department employee is comfortable in, and encourage them to share their honest views about the company, its management practices, and any specific details relating to their job.

For more information regarding exit interviews including what types of questions to ask, and how best to use the information from an exit interview, HR Made Simple Users should log in and search Exit-Interviews.  View exit interview checklists and other relevant sources by visiting the newest section of our website HR Resources Now.