The End Is Nigh—Explore How to Prepare for an Exit Interview

Of all the interviews that you might sit through in your life, preparing for an exit interview should be the least stressful encounter for you. We know it can be undeniably unnerving to have the conversation turn to your career and your decision to leave an organization. The stress of having the right answers locked and loaded will follow you into any interview regardless of its objective.

However, the purpose of an exit interview is to provide the organization with feedback about your experience and create a clean break as you move on to the next chapter in your life. At the end of the day, a truthful exit interview works more as a favor to the organization you are departing from, so preparing for an exit interview can be very different from your traditional experience with interviews. 

This doesn’t mean you can take the process lightly as it can still have an impact on your professional reputation, but what it does imply is that you don’t need to stress yourself as much over finding the perfect response. 

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Let’s Prepare for an Exit Interview and Get Our Thoughts in Order

If you are stressed about what to say in an exit interview, then know that you are not alone. Any interview, professional or otherwise, can be stressful for an individual as it requires you to get your thoughts in order and respond in a brief but clear way. These thoughts and responses are usually recorded by the interviewer, adding to the discomfort of having to say something impactful.

If you’re about to sit down for such an interview at your organization, the first thing to do is understand the purpose of the exit interview and why you’re being questioned in the first place. This can put some of your misconceptions about the process to rest and turn the focus back on the organization.

Purpose of an Exit Interview

Some organizations conduct exit interviews as a matter of procedure and rarely reflect on the data gathered, but for most organizations that invest in the process, the purpose of an exit interview is multifold. The reasons include:

• Understanding the positives and negatives of working at the organization from the perspective of the employee
• Creating a record of the employees’ experience so changes can be made before the new hire comes in
• Establishing targets for future improvements at the organization 
• Evaluating the organization, its culture, and its many systems from the perspective of someone who has experienced it firsthand
• Understanding the employees’ reasons for leaving so something can be done to prevent others from quitting for the same reasons
• Improving the reputation of the organization
• Gathering insights on individual managers and teams to establish improvement plans 
• Creating an opportunity for the employee to channel all their unsaid thoughts into a productive outlet rather than into a negative review of the company online
• Allowing for the employer and employee to clear the air between them and end the relationship on a positive, optimistic note

Exit Interview Preparation: What Do You Need?

The best advice we can give on preparing for an exit interview is to take a breath and relax before getting started with the process. Understand the purpose of an exit interview and recognize that your answers are going to help the organization improve. 

Even if the employer doesn’t apply the feedback back to their workforce, consider your job done with the exit interview. Here are some other steps in the exit interview preparation process.

1. Think of Genuine Points that You Want to Convey In Advance: Throughout your time at an organization, there are various processes and systems that you will love and dislike in equal measure. Consider all of the feedback that you think is most important for the organization. If there are some processes that the organization should continue to perform, convey that to the team. Similarly, if there are things that you think the organization needs to change, make a note.

2. Answer Truthfully: You might feel more comfortable telling the interviewer that everything works perfectly at the company and there are no issues in its functioning, but it is better to provide genuine responses. When you prepare for an exit interview, don’t focus on flattering the organization but instead consider a balanced approach to offering positive and constructive feedback.

3. Remember to Stay Professional: Despite the exit interview being your last interaction with the organization, you still need to treat this like a professional work responsibility. While you are expected to be truthful, you cannot be rude, derogatory, or overly blunt. Frame your responses in a way that will be well-received.

4. Focus on Providing a Solution Rather than Criticizing: When you prepare for an exit interview, consider how you can convey the suggestions you make in a way that will help the company. For example, instead of saying that the communication system at the organization is horrible, state that the organization could benefit from establishing a system for exchanging information between teams.

5. Try to Answer Precisely and to the Point: Once you get started with providing constructive feedback, it can be very tempting to go on and on about all the flaws within the organization. This isn’t ideal. If the interviewer leads with questions, try to provide feedback that is relevant to the question. On the other hand, if the interviewer leaves it up to you to highlight changes necessary at the company, pick a few core points to discuss.

6. Don’t Destroy Your Relationship with the Organization: When you work out what to say in an exit interview, it can be tempting to get it all out of your system and speak your mind. Despite the relationship being an unpleasant one, don’t burn your bridges before leaving. Your new employer may consider calling up your previous organization to check your references or you may need your old contacts later in your career. Do not ruin your relationships before leaving.

7. Be Prepared for Difficult Questions: Sometimes, interviewers can be overly inquisitive about your decision to leave and the job you are taking up next. If there are some topics that you are particularly uncomfortable discussing, such as the pay you have been promised at your next job, you need to practice how you will respond. Set a simple but firm boundary on topics you are not comfortable discussing so you are able to respond without feeling pressured or overwhelmed when it comes up.

8. Find Out Who Will Conduct the Interview: The nature of your responses during your interview will likely vary depending on who is conducting the interview. If your manager is going to conduct the interview but a large number of your complaints center around them, how you express them and what you bring to the forefront may change. In this case, you can take the additional step to request that an HR representative be present during the interview.

9. Ask Questions and Clear up Your Own Doubts: If you’re unsure about any part of the exit interview process, such as who will have access to your responses or whether you can receive your recommendation letter and other documents before the process, you should go ahead and ask for the information beforehand. This will allow you to be more certain about the situation you’re walking into. You can also ask the interviewer questions pertaining to your remaining employment period at the end of the question if you feel it is a good time to do it or set the grounds for one additional meeting.

10. Prepare to Thank Your Employer and Organization: When you prepare for an exit interview, remember to practice who you want to thank and acknowledge. Showing gratitude is an admirable trait so ensure that you thank the interviewer, your team, and your employer at the end of the interview. If someone was particularly helpful during your time at the company, such as an HR manager or IT team member, mention it. The goodwill you show in your exit interview will be helpful to the career of the mentioned individuals and will set the tone for the next stage of your career.

As you prepare for your exit interview, consider all of your experience at the organization carefully and determine what you feel needs to be expressed. As long as you are gracious and polite in how you provide feedback, it will be well received.

The post The End Is Nigh—Explore How to Prepare for an Exit Interview appeared first on The HR Digest.

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