How to conduct employee resignation interview?

A resignation interview refers to an interview with an employee before leaving the company. From the employer's perspective, the main purpose of the resignation interview is to understand the reasons for employee resignation, so as to promote continuous improvement of the company. The resignation interview is also an opportunity for enterprises to transfer the knowledge and experience of the resigned personnel to their successor. Enterprises can even invite resigned personnel to provide suggestions for existing teams on how to complete the current project, solve existing problems, and cooperate with each other.
Enterprises can obtain useful information for themselves in effective resignation interviews, so as to evaluate and improve the work environment, corporate culture, processes and systems, management methods and development models. Many employers ignore the resignation interview opportunity mainly because the potential subjectivity of the interview results has not been attempted in the past, it is difficult to start doing so now. I think it takes a lot of time to start a resignation interview. In order to avoid criticism for the company as much as possible.

However, the resignation interview is an excellent opportunity to discover and analyze the opinions of the resigned personnel. Generally, the departing staff are more frank and objective than the incumbent, and their opinions are more constructive. There is no concern for the departing personnel. Therefore, they can provide more objective feedback than the incumbent in the face of General Employee attitude surveys.

It is true that the security and prevention awareness of enterprises are still a major factor hindering effective resignation interviews. Therefore, if it is difficult for an enterprise to determine the exit interview as a basic system, managers can still execute this process when their subordinates leave.

Purpose of resignation interview

The period from the decision of an employee to the true departure of the company (days, weeks, or even months) is a critical period for an enterprise to obtain important information and knowledge from him. When a departing employee accumulates a large amount of knowledge and customer resources, for example, when he is a sales, purchasing, or business department administrator, the resignation interview is particularly important. The knowledge of the departing employee is very valuable, but the Enterprise will often realize this value only when he has left or is about to leave in a rush with a carton containing his/her own items.

No matter which employee submits his resignation or which employee the company decides to dismiss, ask yourself: should we spend some time thinking about how to transfer knowledge? In other words, if we attach importance to the knowledge of the resigned personnel, isn't it worth considering transferring it to the appropriate personnel in the company?

However, it is more common that, if a key employee leaves the company and faces all the headaches, the senior manager often says "No one is irreplaceable ", to make yourself feel that such losses on information or critical contacts are not terrible. This is obviously not advisable.

In fact, most resigned employees do have valuable (and often critical) knowledge and experience. Moreover, as long as the company treats their resignation in a friendly manner (the resignation interview will help to achieve this) and invites them in good faith, most of the resigned staff will be happy to share their knowledge, provide assistance to the successor or suggestions to the management team. This is also a major reason why enterprises need to think about the resignation process and organize the resignation interview process properly.

All of this depends on the atmosphere at the time of departure. Generally, when a salesperson leaves the company, the company and the employee will suspect each other and regard the other as a threat. This greatly affects the effectiveness of work handover. This suspicion is of no benefit to both parties and efforts should be made to eliminate it. The ideal situation is to encourage (or even reward) resigned persons to attend brief departure meetings and interested parties (if possible, including successors) they should participate to obtain the knowledge they want.

Departure interview principles

Leave interviews should be conducted in a face-to-face manner, which is conducive to communication and understanding between the two sides and to better discover and fundamentally eliminate sensitive and conflicting emotions. However, if face-to-face resignation interviews cannot be conducted, you can also mail the resignation survey paper or e-paper.

During the resignation interview, employees who interview with the company should listen less. Appropriate space and sufficient time should be provided for the departing personnel. When appropriate, the departing personnel should be guided in good faith or dispelled from their doubts, rather than exerting pressure. You should make necessary explanations for some things and think about and understand what the departing employee says (you can only understand his point of view, but do not have to agree ). Remain calm and resist self-defense or counterargument. Remember, your purpose is to discover the ideas, opinions, and answers to some questions of the departing employee, rather than preaching or admonishing them.

Ask more open questions such as "what", "how", and "why", instead of closed questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no, unless you need to confirm a certain point of view. When you use "when" and "where" to ask events in the background, rather than asking specific time or geographical location, they can also be more specific questions. "Who" should be used with caution to avoid reputational damage. Many resigned personnel may feel uncomfortable when asked to give a name or name a surname or accuse someone. The departure interview was not set up to "condemn" a person. Unless it is against some very serious complaints or allegations, the attack by name is unconstructive and should be avoided as far as possible.

Prepare interview questions and themes, especially when you think that the departing staff has good work experience, appreciation and understanding skills. Record the interview content and ask questions based on the resignation interview questionnaire.

Apparently, the style of the resignation interview depends on the reason for the employee's resignation (company requirements, retirement, excess staff, company dismissal) and atmosphere (suspicion, whether the company is retained ). However, an interview should be given to each departing employee, and the enterprise can also benefit from the interview. Sometimes, the resignation interview is also the last opportunity to change the idea of the resigned personnel, although this is not the main purpose of the resignation interview.

After the interview, I would like to express my gratitude to the departing staff and express my good wishes. If you need to complete some special inspection items or follow-up work, ensure that it is complete and report it.

After the resignation interview, objectively consider the answers given by the resigned personnel and find out the clear and implicit meanings.

Take necessary actions based on your analysis of the departure interview results. If the problem is urgent, or the resigned employee wants to stay in the company and the company wants to keep them, take immediate action, or the opportunity will be lost.

The resigned personnel have the right to decide whether to participate in the resignation interview. The company should not force them to participate. If you refuse to participate in the resignation interview, you can provide the resignation questionnaire, but the other party also has the right to decide whether to accept it.

You cannot force the employer to transfer his or her knowledge, except for the documents and materials that the employer may properly request to return. No matter under what circumstances, a positive, constructive, and mature approach is to ensure the best effect of the "Sea of things ", it enables the departing staff to happily transfer useful knowledge and customer contact lists to the company.

If you hear the managers in the company say "No one is irreplaceable" and use it as an excuse not to ask the resigned personnel for important knowledge, this indicates that enterprises must explore all the opportunities for smooth work handover. Therefore, organizational unit members should be encouraged to explore these opportunities or discover these opportunities in person.

Ideally, enterprises should have written policies to elaborate on the methods, timing, and organizer of resignation interviews. Some enterprises assign this responsibility to experienced personnel in the Human Resources Department. In fact, it is also possible for a line manager or even a supervisor to organize a resignation interview. Employees who interview the company and the resigned personnel need to receive general job interview training. Any interview has a sensitive and emotional aspect, which requires that the Representative side of the company be able to manage the interview in a mature manner, especially when the interviewee is anxious or excited.

In large enterprises, the human resources department should be responsible for designing the interview process, providing interview guides and documents, collecting interview result data, and analyzing and reporting problems, trends, opportunities and suggestions found, especially when these findings involve issues related to health, security, or employment laws and responsibilities.

If you have designed a resignation questionnaire or resignation interview form as a document for analysis, try to convert the problem into a "scoring" or multiple-choice format. This greatly simplifies the analysis of interview results compared to a large number of written views.

It is vital to take action based on the results of the analysis of the exit interview feedback. Converting resignation interview feedback into action is an important factor in verifying and maintaining the importance of the process and its implementation effect. Generally, the HR supervisor has the responsibility to submit these questions to the company's board of directors or CEO.

Both large and small companies can take two actions: first, remedial and preventive actions (such as improving the safety factor of employees' health and working environment ), second, strategic improvements (such as staff-oriented, management training, employee authorization or team building activities, process improvement, and customer service improvement ).

Resignation interview example

The following questions can be used for resignation interviews, as well as for the preparation of resignation surveys or e-feedback forms.

In face-to-face conversations, you can use "why" to ask questions for further information, especially when the answers you have obtained are vague or superficial. Questions starting with "what" and "how" help the other party to think and express their true opinions. Although some of these examples are more suitable for interviews with former management employees, the company should give all former employees the opportunity to comment, regardless of their level. In this way, you will discover how knowledgeable and insightful they are.

Enterprise managers can delete these questions based on the departure interview occasions, the interviewees and the company's situation.

· How did you decide to resign?

· What are the main reasons for your decision to resign?

· What are the other reasons for your decision to resign?

· Why is this important to you?

· What do you most care about when you decide to resign?

· What measures could the company have taken to dispel your thoughts on leaving the company?

· How do you want to solve the problem?

· What opportunities do you think can prevent the current situation or solve the current problems?

· What do you think of the process or system that causes these problems or leads you to decide to resign?

· Do you have any specific suggestions on how the company will handle this situation or solve these problems in the future?

· What do you think about the company?

· Do you have any good or happy experiences in your company?

· Do you have any frustrating or difficult experiences in the company?

· If the company provides opportunities, in what ways can you do better or more?

· What additional responsibilities do you Want to assume?

· How can a company make you better use of talent and potential?

· What training do you think You lack? What is the impact?

· Do you think the company should properly evaluate your training and development needs? Have these requirements been met?

· What training and development plans do you think are the most helpful and interesting to you?

· What do you think of communication between companies or departments?

· How do you think the company's customer service should be improved?

· What do you think about the company's corporate culture?

· What do you think of the communication and relationship between different departments of the company? How should we improve it?

Do you think your role development or positioning is appropriate?

· How do you think the company should better guide you into your role?

· For resigned employees who have been working in the company for less than one year: How do you think the company can recruit you? How has the reality changed compared to what you expected when you entered the company? How should the company improve your recruitment and induction training?

· How do you think the company should help you better understand other departments or cooperate with them to improve the company's operational efficiency?

· What do you think of the company's performance evaluation and feedback?

· What do you think of the company's performance appraisal system?

· What do you think of the company's incentive mechanism? How do you think it should be improved?

· How do you think the company should improve working conditions, working hours, shift change systems, and convenience facilities?

· What equipment or machines do you think the company wants to replace, upgrade, or use properly?

· How do you think the company manages you?

· How would you change your company's expectations and goals? Why?

· What special absurd policies, systems, or directives do you think the company has?

· What absurd waste of resources, meaningless reports or meetings, and bureaucracy do you think the company has? Can you talk about it?

· How do you think the company should relieve the pressure on its employees?

· How do you think the company should allow you to make better use of your time?

· Do companies or management personnel have any problems in your work, or make you frustrated or reduce your efficiency?

· How do you think the company can make better use of employee insights and experiences?

· What causes you to decide to leave your company? What makes you decide to develop your career together with the company for a long time?

· How can a company retain good employees (no longer lose employees as good as you )?

· When the situation improves, will you consider going back to the company?

· Are you willing to talk about your whereabouts (if you have decided )?

· What attracts you to join them?

· What are the important conditions they provide?

· If appropriate, can you talk about or reconsider the possibility of your stay in the company?

· Do you need us to provide you with some help to better decide what to do next? (Obviously, we cannot make any commitments .)

· In addition, when a company knows that an employee is about to leave the company, before he leaves the company or conducts a resignation interview, he may consider using the following questions to create opportunities for knowledge transfer. Do not wait for the departure interview to ask these questions.

· How can the company benefit from your knowledge, experience, and customer contact list before you leave the company?

· Are you willing to hold short meetings with managers, contacts or colleagues before leaving the company so that we can benefit from your knowledge and experience?

· How can we transfer your knowledge and experience to the successor before you leave the company?

· When and how will you transfer your knowledge to the successor?

· You are about to leave the company, but we sincerely hope that you can help us sort out some important things. How can we reach an agreement on transferring your knowledge?

· If you would like to introduce XXX (name of the successor) to your key customers before leaving, we would be very grateful. Would you like to help us?