It seems many companies have been impacted by the “great resignation” as a side effect of the pandemic. This has left organizations scratching their heads to figure out why this happened and scrambling to replace team members and often restructuring their businesses.
The same questions continue to be asked: “Why did they leave us?: “Where is everyone going, and Why?”
Understanding why employees are leaving is critical insight that can be used to stabilize the organization, improve operations, culture and engagement and ensure the rest of your team stays put, happily!
Exit interviews can provide that insight and have been an important part of human resource processes, but often get overlooked since they can be awkward and difficult to conduct. However, there are four key insights you can learn that would make it worth your effort to conduct exit interviews, slow down the great resignation, and improve your business.
Four Key Insights:
#1: What triggered you to begin searching for another opportunity?
Kick-off the exit interview by asking the employee why they’re leaving. Knowing why people are leaving will help you prevent others from leaving in the future. Are they moving or going back to school or do they feel your company isn’t the right fit any more? This insight can help you determine what might attract new employees and retain top talent within your company.
#2: Do you think your job has changed since you were hired?
Job roles and responsibilities can change or evolve based upon the fluctuations within a company. This has been especially true over the past two years. These changes can require different skills or responsibilities. If an employee is not on board, these changes can become a drag or challenge for them and impact their attitude or engagement. Learning how a role has changed but more importantly, the employees’ perceptions of those changes will enable you to make a better hire moving forward.
#3: Is there anything that would have changed your mind about leaving?
This question gives more insight into what else was lacking that they were searching for. If an employee says, “I wish the company allowed me to continue to work from home” then that might be something you need to consider for future improvement and retention.
#4: Did you share any concerns with someone in the company before deciding to leave?
If an employee says that they didn’t share concerns with a manager, it’s a good indicator that they didn’t feel comfortable doing so. If they did, and nothing was done about it, then that is a different issue that needs to be addressed within the management team as the resignation could have been avoided and can prevent others from leaving as well.
It’s not always easy to hear why employees may be leaving you, but it’s an opportunity to fix these issues, stop the pain and strengthen the organization.
You can also watch my video on this topic, as well as other videos that will improve your customer acceleration, on Elite Experts Network.
If you’d like some help, please reach out at (216-876-1165) – we can help you get started.
