Exit interviews have become routine in organisations before final departure of employees. But ask them "why?" and most prefer a studied silence. Several organisations are conducting them as a matter of course without bothering about the inferences to be drawn from an analysis of such interviews. Are they really necessary in a sector which has one of the highest rates of attrition? Do exit interviews give an insight into the problem? Or are we knocking on the wrong door for the right answers and are therefore, still clueless?

Employees leave an organisation for various reasons. But the ones leaving voluntarily, following office protocol, will have valuable information which can be used as a resource to compile data about the organisation. If you want your organisation’s true picture through the eyes of your employees, then exit interviews are an invaluable management tool. The answers provided in exit interviews can be the basis for formulating a draft policy for employee retention. Since the feedback on the organisation is from exiting employee, they are expected to be genuine and unbiased.

Typically, an exit interview is a meeting between a senior executive from the company (preferably human resources (HR) department) and the exiting employee. It's easier to fight the enemy if you know where to hit. And to fight the giant of 'attrition', exit interviews can be used as the arrow to strike right at its Achilles' heel. Exit interviews open doors to internal systems and workings within the organisation that affect an employee's career in the company. They provide an insight into the values that employees attach to systems, processes and management of the organisation. Many reforms in the appraisal systems, leave management, human resource management and many other improvement initiatives can be taken on the basis of exit feedback.

Sharing her opinion on exit interviews, Surbhi Saxena, Senior Manager, Employee Relations, First Advantage Offshore Services Private Limited said, "Exit interviews are a cost-effective means of collecting data to not just help in improving recruitment, selection, placement and training practices, but also reduce employee turnover. These interviews help in identifying poor practices in an organisation that can be then eliminated or remedied." Most importantly they help in minimising the risk of legal actions later, Saxena adds.

Since these interviews are generally conducted just before employees' departure, they can disclose their feelings about the company without the fear of repercussion. But Saxena believes, "A better time to conduct such a meeting is while an employee is still committed and not when he/she is on the way out. Ideally, at least a week before his/her departure."

Explaining the reasons for varied employee turnover, Navin Joshua, Executive Director, vCustomer India said, "Just as the motivating factor for each employee varies, so does the factor resulting in the turnover of the employee. However, exit interview feedback does help study of employee turnover trend." But cautions Joshua, "To rely solely on feedback would be foolhardy, for an employee on his way out may be biased and judgmental about the company and its systems. The organisation should spend an equal time gaining feedback from employees throughout their association with the organisation."

Saxena too supports the view and cautions, "With exit feedback you need a reality-check so that it does not lead to a witch-hunt." Saxena believes that these interviews can sometimes lead to character assassination and may divert from the main goal of conducting such interviews. The interview should be conducted professionally and as far as possible steer away from personal grievances. Therefore, though more stress should be laid on the right questions to ask, it is equally important to know which questions are not to be asked."

The employees should be well informed about the process of exit interviews. Although, legally an employee can refuse to give this interview, if it is communicated well in advance within the organisation that it is a standard procedure and all the exiting employees are required to give it, it may not scare them away. Exit interviews can also help in creating a positive environment, wherein the employee may want to re-join at a later stage and would not hesitate to do so.

Saxena stresses on some of the pitfalls to be avoided while conducting these interviews, "Treat the exiting employee with respect and ensure that he or she knows that there is no penalty for speaking freely or otherwise." She adds, "Have a trusted person to chair these meetings. The person conducting the exit interview should be one with a good amount of individual credibility and should avoid leading questions, questions on specific issues or individuals. He should also be a good listener. The interview should be properly timed." Last but not the least, she adds, "It should project a good picture of the organisation to the exiting employee and show it in a caring light."

Some organisations even hire a third party consultant or a behavioural psychologist to make this process of conducting exit interviews more effective and reliable. "According to a research, when a company switched to a third party firm, it found less than 70 percent correlation between what employees said during an internal company exit interview vs when interviewed by a neutral third party," said Saxena.

The interviews should be precise and the questions relevant. Says Joshua, "The content of an interview must be specific to an organisation's requirement. However, in general, the interview should focus largely on systems, processes and people's behaviour that directly affect the employees' day-to-day working in the organisation."

After the interview, the crucial part is to assimilate all the data in statistical format so as to draw conclusions. The way in which this data is processed leads to better inferences and concrete results. Says Saxena, "Try and assimilate the data into various buckets. It should be presented as a statistical model as opposed to getting into individual issues. Use the result to generate trends that can show areas of repetitive concern that need to be addressed."

To make it a better experience for the employee and the employer, the environment or the place where the interview is conducted should be informal and away from the work area. The interviewer should be unbiased with a neutral approach. Some companies even request employees for written feedback for more specific and accurate record.

All in all, there is no reason to deny the importance of exit interviews for the employer and the employee both. If conducted properly, it can help the employer ensure that no other employee leaves for similar reasons. It also benefits the departing employee with constructive feedback and he can leave on a positive note with hopes of returning in future, if so desired.