Departing employees are talking, and exit interviewers are listening.
A survey of human resources managers by OfficeTeam found that 63 percent of HR professionals interviewed say they are acting upon the feedback received in exit interviews. Only 13 percent said they pay absolutely no attention to complaints and suggestions made by exiting staffers.
The data shows that these conversations aren't falling on deaf ears. In fact, those surveyed say they are taking action, including:
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29 percent say they follow up by updating job descriptions;
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24 percent say they discuss feedback about management with management;
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22 percent say they make changes to the work environment and/or company culture;
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19 percent say they review salary structures.
Despite the above statistics, only 5 percent say they use the exit interview information to review employee benefits, a response that suggests somebody should be examining why companies are more likely to reconsider salaries over benefits.
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Big picture, it's a good sign that nearly two-thirds of companies give HR the freedom to turn exit interview sharing into policy changes.
"The only silver lining to losing employees is obtaining useful feedback to help stem further turnover," said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam.
"Departing workers can provide valuable insights that current staff may be reluctant to share. Although not every criticism will be worth responding to, the most crucial issues should be addressed immediately to help keep existing team members happy and loyal."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
