If you have handed in your notice to your current employer, you may be asked to participate in an exit interview. Employers that conduct exit interviews usually want to make positive changes in the workplace. Interestingly, over half of employers are not offering exit interviews and are missing a big opportunity to make positive changes to the role or the culture. If you have been asked to participate in an exit interview, it is understandable that you may feel apprehensive. However, you can use the exit interview to share your opinions on your experience.
What is an exit interview?
Employers that conduct exit interviews are interested in why people leave. They may use them to improve the workplace culture and the role, and help with recruitment and retention. The exit interview allows you to share your experiences and can be an excellent way to release any tension about your reasons for leaving. Although you don’t want to go into an exit interview with anger towards the company; honesty is essential. If you have enjoyed your time with the company, an exit interview can be an excellent way to leave the door open in the future. It would help if you remembered that the exit interview is voluntary; the company cannot force you to undertake this.
Common Questions in an Exit Interview
Employers don’t want to lose good employees, and as such, when this happens, they want to know the reasons why. These are some of the likely questions you may be asked during an exit interview:
- Why are you leaving the company? Resist the temptation to make personal attacks against colleagues if you are leaving due to the environment. Instead, you could comment on the general culture. If there are other reasons, for instance, the type of work you do, be specific about what areas have caused you to want to leave your role.
- Did you feel supported by your manager? Although it is essential to be honest, refrain from personal attacks here. The interviewer wants to know if the manager’s style suits you and if not, they may need to rethink their recruitment strategy. For example, some people hate being micro-managed and only want to speak to their manager when required. If the style doesn’t suit you, explain that to the interviewer.
- What have you found most challenging about the role? Consider the areas of the role that interested you and those that felt more difficult.
- Would you consider working for us in the future? It is good to keep positive relations with your employer so that the door is open in the future. However, this is not always possible, so if you do not work with them in the future, say so. You could even word it to mean that you would consider if the management changes in the future.
Exit interviews are a two-way street and can be a good learning experience for you and the employer. It can allow you to express yourself and get your feelings off your shoulders so you can happily move on to your next employer.
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