Exit Interviews: The Dos & The Don’ts

Wrapping up your last few days in the office after handing in your notice is usually full of meetings, drinks, the obligatory handover and, for some, taking time out to speak to a member of HR for an exit interview.

I should know – after only a short employment, I gave in my notice to my manager. When emailing the usual formalities of terminating an employment contract to my HR department, I asked if I could have an exit interview.

When I was thinking about leaving, I had confided in some of my work friends who had already made the move and asked whether they had been offered a last chat with HR. Not one of them said that they had and most followed this up by saying that, even though they had had grievances, they weren’t fussed about airing them, an attitude which surprised me. When I delved a little deeper into this mentality, I discovered that most of my friends weren’t aware what an exit interview entailed – the sort of questions they would be asked and how their responses would be used. It turns out that they aren’t alone, so without further ado, here is your foolproof guide to exit interviews.