Having a valuable employee leave your charity organization is never easy. After all, the individual has been a part of your team for some time and he/she must have contributed a lot to the success of your charity. So, even the thought of them quitting can be quite frightening. At the same time, your mind might be full of different thoughts like for instance, if you will be able to find a suitable replacement for the employee who is leaving and if the individual is going to be just as productive as them. Therefore, with the demand for talent on the rise, employers, recruiters, and staffing agencies must need to know what will attract employees by adopting talent acquisition strategies and keeping them loyal to their job.
Conducting an exit interview is really important in the offboarding process. This gives employees a chance to be completely candid about their experience with the charity organization. It also allows you to know the reason why employees want to leave in the first place. Also, if the reason is because of any internal matter, then this would allow the employers to take action to fix the problem.
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Exit Interview: What Is It?
Research points out that high turnover results in poor performance. Therefore, it is necessary to implement exit interviews to reach the bottom of the issue which will not only help you maintain your staff but will also allow you to grow your organization. But what is an exit interview? Well, it is a meeting with the employee who wishes to quit the charity. It can be conducted as a conversation over the phone, or via an in-person meeting.
This process will enable you, the employer, to receive honest feedback about the workplace. It will also help you notice the qualities that motivate a job seeker such as the ability to advance, time off, salary, and other employee perks.
Why Are Exit Interviews Important?
Research has proved that high turnover will result in lower performance. Therefore, an organization that has a lower turnover rate as compared to its competitors will have a competitive advantage over the other. This is why exit interviews are important. It will let you about the shortcomings of your charity organization and what needs to be worked on. This is going to be helpful for you as it will let you know how to stack up against your competitors. Moreover, employees who had a positive exit interview experience might just become your biggest promoter and refer your name to other job seekers.
Moreover, exit interviews will reinforce your core values. If you don’t pay any heed to exit interviews then it will send a strong signal to the employees that their hard work was not valued. On the contrary, if you ask every individual who chooses to leave the reason they are doing so and take their suggestions to improve the workplace, it will signify that you truly appreciate an employee’s effort. It will also show that you are willing to bring about a change that will make the office better for your workforce.
Who Should Conduct an Exit Interview and Where?
Exit interviews are usually conducted by an HR professional. However, you can assign this task to a third-party professional. And when you decide to do it, then try not to involve a direct manager in the conversation. This will allow the departing employee to speak his mind about the organization and can be brutally honest about his/her experience. If you really do want to involve someone in the interview then consider selecting the second or third-level managers who must be familiar with the employee’s team and role.
As for where you should hold an exit interview then it is best to leave this to the employee. It will show how concerned and compassionate you are and will enable the interviewee to open up in a setting they are most comfortable in. Also, don’t bound the interview to a specific time limit and take as long as the process needs to take. Make sure that you ask all the questions that you want to and listen carefully to everything that the employee wants to say.
Exit Interview Tips
Now that you know all the necessary elements that make an exit interview successful, let’s take a look at some tips that will allow you to ace this process.
#1. Prioritize Confidentiality
An employee’s confidentiality should be your first and foremost priority. This means to conceal any revealing information about the individual before sharing the results with an executive team or the HR department. You may want to reach out to them about a partnership opportunity or they might reconnect with you regarding a reference check. So, don’t jeopardize their relationship with them. Moreover, if you protect their identity then they might open up more and feel at ease while doing so.
#2. Let the Employee Know How Their Responses Will Be Reported
While you are assuring them of their confidentiality, do tell how their responses will be reported to the management. Explain to them how data will be presented and make sure that they understand it. This will allow the departing employees to feel more secure while sharing their honest feedback.
#3. Ask Questions from a Predetermined List
It is advisable to make a predetermined list of questions that you would ask every departing employee. It will help you collect consistent data. Moreover, it will let you know what needs to be changed. Some of the questions can be like.
- Did you receive support from your team?
- How was your relationship with the manager?
- Is there anything that you would like to change about the organization?
#4. Listen to Employee’s Responses Actively
While interviewing the departing employees, it is advised to listen carefully to what they have to say and pay attention to the wording they use. Also, instead of assuming what they mean, it is better if you ask them clarifying questions. This is your perfect chance to know about your shortcomings and what needs to be improved. It will enable you to improve your employee retention rate.
#5. Take Notes
While taking exit interviews, it is advised to take notes. Why? Well, it will allow you to record the feedback of the departing employees. Plus, the data will be stored and will not be forgotten. Taking notes will also reflect that you do care about what the employees have to say which might even want them to become more candid. You can take an extra step and ask an employee for permission to record the interview. You can assure them that you will delete the recording once you have transcribed the notes.
#6. Ask Them What You Are Doing Right
You should certainly inquire an employee about the things that you are doing right. Ask them if they enjoyed the workplace environment or if they were satisfied with the culture, benefits, or compensation that the charity organization offers. This question is important as it will let you know what is the most valued component in your non-profit charity, which you can then make into a part of your employer branding strategy.
#7. Make Sure the Employee Is Comfortable
If your employees are comfortable, you can expect them to be completely honest during an exit interview. Therefore, it is important to prioritize their comfort. So, ask them when they would like to have a meeting and try to conduct it in a place where they feel the most comfortable whether it be somewhere in your office or outside such as a coffee place.
#8. Wish Them Well
There are certain employees whose departure can have a profound effect on your team. But instead of being disappointed or upset about it, be positive because with every end comes a new beginning. So, with the employee best of luck for their future endeavors. This will make them clear that you value them as an individual and would let you conclude the interview on a positive note.
Conclusion
Employees are the most valuable asset of a charity organization. But sometimes they may leave due to various reasons. True, this will impact your charity especially when the individual is a top performer. But conducting exit interviews might help you trace the root of your problem. Plus, it will give you a clearer picture of what your workforce thinks about the workplace. You will then be able to take appropriate actions to resolve the issues which will improve the turnover rate.
Apart from the exit interview, you should also take a stay interview that will let you know why employees want to stick with your organization. This will uncover the points that give value to your organization. You can then use them to attract more talent!