Page 19 - Twenty Four Lessons for Mastering Your New Role

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Exit interviews can help you identify reasons for high turnover or
poor morale, expose poor working conditions, and gain ideas that
sharpen how you manage. Longtime workers can reflect on their
years at your organization, pointing out pros and cons of various
policies, procedures, or personnel. They may know what works and
what doesn’t—and who are the unsung heroes in your unit. An exit
interview is one of the only ways for new managers to gather such
valuable insight.
Better yet, your genuine interest in the departing employee’s
views can leave a lasting positive impression. The individual may
come away feeling better about you, and this can work in your favor
later. Cultivating allies outside your organization helps you build a
valuable network.
To squeeze the most knowledge from departing workers:
Lay the groundwork: Let employees know in advance what you’re
going to ask. Emphasize that you treat their opinions seriously and
you hope they’ll give considerable thought to the issues before the
interview.
Separate tangibles from intangibles: Ask two sets of questions.
First, focus on fact-finding (example: “Did you have the tools and
resources you needed to do the job?”). Then shift to less concrete,
hard-to-measure areas such as morale and camaraderie (example:
“How would you rate the work ethic of your team?”).
Request names: Collect referrals for new hires, vendors, and con-
sultants. Probe to find the names of the individuals your departing
employees respect most both inside and outside your organization.
Discuss your hiring needs and invite the employee to stay in touch
and refer top candidates to you in the weeks and months ahead.

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones
who do more listening than talking.”
—Bernard Baruch

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