Are Exit Interviews Mandatory??

Straydandelion · Nov 14, 2008

If you are a departing employee, an exit interview offers you no significant benefits, other than perhaps allowing you to "unload" on a seemingly sympathetic HR rep. To the contrary, it represents a big risk.

http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/haexit.htm

I would advise being very polite and diplomatic if you can't get out of it. Every place I worked had that policy of an exit interview, I haven't been on one yet though.

allnurses Guide · Nov 14, 2008

I have left two hospital jobs, and I never had any actual sit down, "exit interviews". The first hospital, they sent me some sort of questionnaire that I never did get around to filling out. The second hospital, I can't even remember if they sent me a questionnaire or not. So anyway, if you have an "exit interview", that is what it is liable to consist of, a questionnaire that you fill out. I can't imagine they could force you to have any sit down type of thing.

Jolie, BSN · Nov 14, 2008

Exit interviews never benefit the departing employee in any way.

If your workplace stinks, your supervisors already know it, and are either unwilling or unable to improve things. Nothing you say can or will change that. Anything negative you say about your employer can wind up in your HR file and get you labeled as a troublemaker, malcontent, etc.

If you are leaving for unavoidable reasons (school, relocation) and really liked your job, then by all means, offer your compliments.

I suggest avoiding exit interviews, unless you truly liked your job and want to return some day. If they try to pressure you into doing one, request a written form that you can conveniently "forget" to complete. If they insist on a sit down discussion, give vague, non-committal answers.

Angel0411 · Nov 14, 2008

No, they're not mandatory, but as a former HR Manager, I have never labelled anyone a trouble maker... etc for revealing negative information. My only question sometimes is why the employee never spoke up and mentioned anything before so that the situation could be corrected. I have always used the information the employee gives in order to improve their department, find out why people are leaving or unhappy and then and if the complaint is about a sup or mgr, speak to their superior about the information revealed, esp. if there is a trend.

It is one thing to bash the company and individuals, but it's another thing to tactfully inform HR of specific situations that need improvement in the dept.

Jolie, BSN · Nov 14, 2008

Angel,

I would love to work in your organization. I've only left one employer because of dissatisfaction, and I tried mightily to improve things before I considered leaving. There was no interest on the part of the organization to improve things, and the person they hired to replace me quit for the same reasons.

ello7 · Nov 14, 2008

I recently quit a job due to me moving south, and they did conduct an exit interview.

Even though the interview wasn't to benefit me any, I felt they were very receptive and open to my compliments as well as my criticisms.

But I worked in a unit that was very "open to suggestions". But if you have issues with them, I think you should let them know and discuss it. Technically, that's what the interview is for. . .

Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2008

Thank you all for your replies! :) I was hoping I could get off the hook. ~Ivanna

brads7 · Nov 20, 2008

Ivanna_nurse

noticed you were looking for "the train journey" a story of alzheimers do you still want it?

Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2008

Ivanna_nurse
noticed you were looking for "the train journey" a story of alzheimers do you still want it?

Brad, If you have it, I would LOVE it. :) Ivanna

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 25, 2008

I think it's safest that if you have nothing nice to say about the company in the exit interview, then don't say anything at all--just be neutral.

But if you do want to criticize, I think you should be very careful how you do it. The world is smaller than we often realize, and you don't want an impromptu vent session during your exit interview to come back (in any way) to bite you in the rear in the future.

brads7 · Nov 25, 2008

Hi Ivanna

here is the train journey. Im sure this is the one you were after. enjoy

Sharon

THE TRAIN JOURNEY.

Imagine going on a long journey by train. As we leave the landscape looks familiar and as we progress, things begin to look different. The buildings have odd shapes and the trees don't look quite the way you remember them. Maybe it's a different country with different architecture and plant life. It feels a bit strange even unnerving.

You decide to ask the other passengers about the strangeness you feel, but notice they seem unperturbed. You wonder if your mind is paying tricks on you. You decide to act as if everything looks all right, but because it does not, you have to be on your guard. This places you under some tension, but you believe you can tolerate it for the rest of the trip. . However,ou t on this journey but know Ied out on this journey but know I connot go back.y will end. them to tell me where the train is you find yourself becoming so preoccupied with appearing alright that you are distracted and don't notice the passing scenery.

After some time you look out the window again and this time you know something is wrong. Everything looks strange and unfamiliar. There is no similarity to anything you can recall from the past. You think that you must do something and try to talk to the other passengers about the strangeness you feel but they look at you dumb foundered. They talk in a new language. You wonder why they are not talking in English. They look at you knowingly and with sympathy. You want to know what is going on so you keep after them trying to get them to tell you where the train is going. The only answers you get are in a strange language and then even when you talk your words sound strange to you. Now you are truly frightened.

You realise that you are going to have to get of this train and find your own way home and then you get up to leave. You don't get very far as the other passengers stop you and take you back to you seat. It seems that they want you to stay on the train whether you like it or not. You try to explain but they just talk in a strange language.

You realise that you will never find your way home if you don't get off that train. You get ready to jump when hands suddenly appear from nowhere and grab you from behind. You try to fight them off, but you feel them pulling you back onto the train. You will never get home.

How sad you feel. You did not say goodbye to you friends or you children. The passengers look sympathetic, but they do not know how sad you feel. Maybe if they knew they would let you off the train.

You have no choice now. You have to go along with the passengers because they seem to know where the journey will end. Maybe they will get you there safely. You wish that you had never started out on this journey but know you cannot go back.