Exit Interview Gold

Shawnee Love   •  
September 7, 2010

Ahhh Bliss.  The kids, ahem summer students, are back to school and now your office can get back to normal. Before you do, did you remember to do Exit Interviews before they said goodbye?

If not, you missed a major opportunity. Those summer employees are still idealists who truly believe they can make a difference. Cynicism has yet to set in, so they might tell you the truth. Especially since the summer job is over and many aren’t worrying about how their feedback will affect their ability to be hired back next year. Those who are considering their future opportunities are also thinking about whether they’d even want to work for you again. (Generation Y and Z are known for their high expectations.) In any case, their honest, thorough feedback will offer a myriad of suggestions and comments about how your company works and treats its people- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It is rare to get such great content without having to pay an HR consultant like me to get it, but the real opportunity lies in what you do with this gold mine of information. One client I worked with makes the top two concerns raised each season its priority over the winter with the goal of minimizing the issues for next years’ summer hires. Their ability to rehire (saving time and money) is impressive plus they have a ready source of entry level employees looking to get hired into regular positions (more money in the bank).

If you didn’t do exit interviews, don’t despair. Many of those students will still be willing to answer your questions over the phone if you call them ASAP. Make your interview short and sweet. I like these 3 questions:

  1. What did you like about working for us?
  2. What didn’t you like?
  3. What would you change?

You might also ask them if they would be interested in coming back next year to get save time and money for next season. Happy interviewing!