Slam the door slowly:
Getting the most out of exit interviews
Those of us in the hiring business can’t be blamed for thinking too much about hiring, can we? We focus obsessively on attracting candidates, screening them, and bringing them on board. Hopefully this includes things like scientific testing (good), data-based selection (better), and ongoing performance appraisal to analyze our success (best).

But when employees quit, we’re not much interested. Their departure typically provides a data point for retention statistics, plus a rather unpleasant formality known as the exit interview. This is a shame, because along with the box of junk from their desks, these ex-employees are walking out the door with a lot of valuable information. And I don’t mean company secrets – but vital data on why once-promising hires fail on the job.

Getting the most out of exit interviews
All too often, exit interviews only provide a format for dumping bad feelings. They should be opportunities to gather the most honest feedback an employee is willing to provide. That is, if you know what to ask about — and if you’re ready to hear the answers.

If we divide performance factors logically into broad categories, we might identify the following failure factors:

1. The person did not have the skills to do the job.
This first factor is the primary cause of job failure, not because applicants lie outright about their qualifications (although they do "spin"), but because the organization often does a bad job of defining the right competencies, or of measuring whether the applicant has job skills to match them.

Jobs skills go deeper than OJT or resume bullet points. They include being smart enough to learn and solve problems associated with the job; being organized enough to get work done; having the right interpersonal skills to get things done with other people; and having the right attitudes, interests, and motivations to use the first three skills. Unskilled employees (or if you prefer, those with the wrong skills) will always wind up with job failure and dissatisfaction.

Here are some exit interview questions you might want to ask to discover whether your hiring process is improperly assessing skills:

• When you were hired, did the interviewer really know if you had job skills or not?
• Were you tested (during the application stage) for all the skills you needed to do the job?
• Did the job match what you expected?
• What part of the job was easy for you? Hard for you?

These are all questions that gather information about job requirements and an applicant's prequalification for the job. Negative answers indicate a weak understanding of job requirements and a poor evaluation of applicant skills by your staffing function.

2. The person's manager hindered the employee's performance.
The second most common factor associated with job dissatisfaction is an employee's immediate manager. This person has the power to make an employee's job either wonderful or miserable. I myself have been in several jobs where I went from "fair-haired child" to "red-headed stepchild" overnight. The only thing that changed was my manager.

In all cases, the new managers had impaired management skills. One had a toxic paranoid style that decimated his department; another was a neurotic attorney who never held department meetings, stole company contracts, and expected subordinates to read his mind; and the third was an obsessive-compulsive micromanager. They all interviewed well, but they destroyed employees and were eventually terminated.

Some exit interview questions can help uncover supervisor problems:

• How were you treated by your supervisor? Friendly? Helpful? Respectful?
• Did your manager help you anticipate or coach you through problems?

Treatment by immediate supervisors is among the primary complaints of employees. It is also a major reason for unionization efforts (i.e., the employees seek third-party protection). A good first-line supervisor develops a concerned, developmental relationship with his or her subordinates. Toxic front-line supervisors destroy employee productivity.

3. The organization did not provide the necessary training.
The third failure factor is absence of training. We are not talking about training that changes behavior, but training that provides specific direction, knowledge, and skills to perform the job effectively.

Here are some exit interview questions relating to training issues:

• Did you receive adequate initial training to perform the job? What kind?
• Was training related to job performance?

Good training will not turn the proverbial sow's ear into a silk purse, but poor or inadequate training can significantly interfere with productivity.

4. The organization hindered employee performance.
The fourth factor is the overall environment. This includes things like wages, working conditions, opportunities for enrichment or advancement, and providing the resources to do the job. I worked in two companies where we had to share a single computer among several people. In another company, the president had two assistants, while the rest of the company had to share one assistant four ways. I'm sure you have dozens of your own horror stories yourself.

Some exit interview questions pertaining to work environment:

• Was there anything in the environment that kept you from doing your best? Working conditions? Benefits? Compensation?
• Did other departments help or hinder your performance?

Everyone complains about money and benefits. But they are seldom the “real” reason people terminate unless their organization is at the trailing-edge of the competition. Look instead for factors that hindered or frustrated a well-intentioned employee.

Exit interviews are an excellent time to gather valuable information — providing you use a systematic approach and are prepared to act on the answers you receive.

Bottom line? Hire well, get out of the way and don't screw it up! And if all else fails, don’t let the door hit them on the way out.

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