Exit Interviews: Uncovering Insights For Better Retention

HR wisdom for retaining and engaging employees

To gain insights into employee retention challenges, we asked eight HR professionals and managers the same question. From leveraging exit interviews for healthcare improvements to revamping the onboarding process, these Human Resources managers and other HR professionals share their experiences and strategies on how exit interviews have led to positive changes in their organizations.
 

 

• Leveraging Exit Interviews for Healthcare Improvements
• Enhancing the Employee Experience
• Reengaging Employees 
• Uncovering Team Issues 
• Transforming Operations Based on Feedback
• Unearthing Priority Issues
• Improving Work-Life Balance 
• Revamping the Onboarding Process 

Leveraging Exit Interviews for Healthcare Improvements

In a fast-growing organization, we discussed every new exit interview and employee survey at a quarterly leadership meeting. This was a time to reevaluate how we were operating and to put ourselves in our colleagues' shoes. It allowed managers to troubleshoot together, to discuss areas where they wanted guidance or what had been working well for them.

We would then discuss the feedback from every survey at our quarterly company-wide meeting, including our determined resolution. Our most consistent feedback was that our healthcare insurance was not solid enough, even though it was expensive for employees. We had previously opted to keep all states under one national plan, so we reevaluated and adjusted so that each state in which we operated had a few state-specific options. 

This significantly lowered our cost, as we could appeal to more brokers and negotiate our rates down while increasing our coverage.
 

Hope Pakalnins, Human Resources Manager

 

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Enhancing the Employee Experience

Exit interviews provide a window into the reasons for employees leaving an organization, which is essential for improving overall success. During exit rounds, as an HR professional, I gauge the employee's satisfaction and engagement levels while identifying organizational issues that may have been overlooked.

For example, in a recent exit interview, an employee suggested that we provide a more detailed explanation of our Performance Management System cycle. Taking this feedback into consideration, we implemented the changes, and this led to positive feedback from new joiners. 

Additionally, we started working on introducing internal training sessions for soft skills with our in-house trainers. These small but impactful changes not only enhance cohesion among peers but also contribute to an improved overall employee experience within the organization. That's how exit interviews play a crucial role in driving these positive changes by offering insights into areas that require attention.
 

Divvya Desai, HR, NamanHR

 

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Reengaging Employees

Sometimes, exit interviews offer you the opportunity to reengage an employee you don’t want to lose. Conducting an exit interview can already soften your company in an employee's eyes because it shows you care enough about their feedback to ask for it and value the professional relationship beyond their productivity. 

But the exit interview also helps you uncover why they’re leaving. At the very least, that gives you some insights that can help you manage, maintain, and improve current and future employee relationships. But it also gives you the opportunity to correct any issues and, if you choose, give them a valuable offer to stay.
 

Robert Kaskel, Chief People Officer, Checkr

 

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Uncovering Team Issues 

The best question we ask during our exit interviews is, “What could we have done to make you stay?” After the employee answers, we then ask, “Is there anything else beyond this we could have done?” 

While most employees will answer the first question with something surface-level like compensation, the second question is what gets to the heart of what the employee really cares about. By asking this question, we've learned a lot about what the true problems are within various teams. 

That could be a toxic manager, a coworker who is bullying, or even just a simple lack of recognition. The issues are wide-ranging but very fixable. If you're trying to find out what your employees are really thinking, remember that it pays to ask twice.
 

Bogdan Zlatkov, Lead Instructor for HR and Hiring, Growth Hack Your Career

 

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Transforming Operations Based on Feedback

When a team member leaves Custom Exteriors, we always ask for feedback on the team and if we could have done anything to improve their experience. 

One instance, in particular, stands out. Early in our business, we secured a large, multi-family roofing job. Unfortunately, our experience in this realm was limited. While the roofs were completed promptly and met our usual quality for installation, the process certainly could have been smoother. 

When the project manager who ran that job was leaving our organization years later, he still recalled the frustration created by ineffective communication methods. The residents didn't have clear expectations, and because of this, a lot of additional work was created for him by being reactive rather than proactive in our communication. 

Because of his perspective on that job, we entirely changed how we handle condo-association roof replacements. Implementing his suggestions has made for a better experience for the community and our team!
 

Niki Obrien, Operations Manager, Custom Exteriors

 

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Unearthing Priority Issues

Exit interviews have been a goldmine for our business. There are two questions from which I get the most value:

"If you were in my position, what's the one thing you'd start working to fix?" The answer ensures I focus on the highest-priority issues that will have the most positive impact.

"Is there anything going on in the organization that you think I should know about but may not see?" I ask this question near the end to ensure I haven't missed anything. By this point, we've built a stronger rapport, so they generally feel comfortable “spilling all.” For example, at one company, I found the accountant had stolen a large sum of money by crediting fictitious invoices!

Of course, after some exit interviews, I'm left thinking the employee is deluded and glad they've gone. However, very often, I'm amazed by how objective and balanced the feedback is.
 

Geoff Newman, Founder, Starget.co.uk

 

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Improving Work-Life Balance 

In my role as the founder of a recruitment platform, I place great importance on retaining our employees. High turnover rates can be costly and disrupt our operations, which is why we give exit interviews serious consideration.

To gain valuable insights from these interviews, we meticulously review the feedback we receive, looking for recurring themes and trends. This helps us identify areas where we can make improvements. For instance, a few years ago, a consistent issue emerged from our exit interview feedback: employees were leaving because of challenges in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

In response to this feedback, we implemented several changes. We introduced more flexible work arrangements to accommodate individual needs. We also made childcare facilities and other resources readily available to our employees. Additionally, we actively encouraged our team members to take advantage of vacation and personal days.
 

Phil McParlane, Founder and CEO, 4dayweek.io

 

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Revamping the Onboarding Process 

At EchoGlobal, exit interviews are crucial in demystifying the undercurrents of our organizational climate. We employ a dual-faceted approach: a candid conversation followed by a comprehensive survey, ensuring employees feel both heard and protected by anonymity. This combination excavates raw, honest feedback while enabling us to pinpoint recurring patterns.

A poignant illustration is when we unearthed consistent feedback regarding our onboarding process. Many felt overwhelmed by the information avalanche in the first week. This revelation catalyzed an overhaul of our induction protocol. We introduced a phased approach, interspersing hands-on training with mentoring sessions. 

As a result, our new hires reported enhanced confidence, fostering a more seamless integration into our culture. The reverberations of this shift were profound, amplifying team cohesion and ultimately fortifying our retention metrics.
 

Lou Reverchuk, Co-Founder and CEO, EchoGlobal

Brett Farmiloe is the CEO and currently the CHRO of Featured. Brett is a former SHRM Influencer and has also been a keynote speaker at several state SHRM conferences around the topic of employee engagement.