The Importance of Exit Interviews and How They Improve Company Culture

Are Exit Interviews Useful?

If your company is feeling the effects of the labor shortage, you’ve had plenty of experience dealing with workers resigning. The number of jobs continues to outpace the number of available workers.  

An employee leaving doesn’t have to be a completely negative experience. Exit interviews are an excellent opportunity to get last-minute data and feedback. This information can improve your hiring and retention moving forward. 

We spoke with Director of Recruiting Operations Warren Braxton who has over 18 years of experience helping companies find the right people for their job openings. He explains the importance of exit interviews and why they’re great for improving company culture and processes.

The Importance of Exit Interviews 

1. Getting feedback from employees makes them feel more valued

One of the benefits of exit interviews is that it shows your company values worker feedback. People want to know that their voice matters in the workplace. 

“When we talk to a contractor after they’ve completed an assignment and ask for feedback about their experience, they’re usually very appreciative. They are appreciative that someone even cared enough to ask their opinion. Even if they had a negative experience, the fact that they got a phone call to learn about their experience goes a long way with workers,” says Braxton.

A study from the American Psychological Association uncovered that workers who feel valued are more engaged in the workplace. Soliciting feedback from employees, both exiting and existing, gives them a larger role in your business. When your current workforce sees you taking feedback from employees seriously, they’ll likely be more engaged in their work. 

2. Stay updated on what motivates employees

Employees' motivations are evolving. Companies need to adjust their processes to accommodate what motivates employees. Being slow to adjust to what motivates employees makes it more difficult to find the staff needed to meet business goals. Workers are seeking improved wages, more flexible schedules, professional development opportunities and more. One of the benefits of exit interviews is that they can tell you where your company is failing to meet employee expectations. 

“The top companies want to know why people are leaving and what they need to change to keep them. Everyone is dealing with retention issues, so they need to figure out how to create an environment where workers want to stay,” says Braxton.

Exit interviews are an employer’s last chance to get valuable information from an employee. During the interview, look for themes in the reasons that your employees are leaving. The importance of exit interviews is the opportunity they can be to identify areas where your company can improve the worker experience. 

3. Learn how to improve internal processes from employee feedback

Exit interviews can let you know what aspects of your hiring, scheduling or performance feedback processes need improvement. You’ll get negative feedback that may be hard to process, but it can ultimately improve your company’s performance.

“Sometimes getting feedback on your culture and what your company does well or poorly can be nerve wracking. But most companies would rather know what they could be doing so they can make changes and create a better company”, says Braxton.

One of the best benefits of exit interviews is that they are an opportunity to hear an employees’ unfiltered thoughts about your company. Learning about their experience gives you an opportunity to improve internal processes. It also shows your workforce that you value their feedback. 

“People want to be seen and heard and feel like they have a voice. Sometimes when you have a large workforce or are aggressively hiring it's easy for somebody to feel like a number or just a body. Anything companies can do to slow down and notice someone as an individual, I think it's what people will talk about most when they leave,” says Braxton.

Want to learn more about the importance of exit interviews?

To learn more about the importance of exit interviews and how Aerotek partners with companies to conduct exit interviews for contractors, contact us today.