Employee resignations can be especially disappointing when one your star healthcare professionals decide to quit. However, people leave jobs for many reasons, and it’s important that you find out why an employee makes the decision. The best way to obtain this is though conducting exit interviews—a meeting with a terminating employee that provides your organization with the opportunity to obtain frank, honest feedback to help reduce future turnover. Here are a few important things to consider in order to conduct an effective exit interview.
Don’t have the employee’s manager conduct the interview.
In order to receive the most honest feedback, have the exit interview conducted by someone other than the employee’s immediate supervisor—preferably a human resources representative. The supervisor’s relationship with the employee can influence an employee’s decision to leave or stay, so they will likely not be completely honest about their decision for leaving when talking with their supervisor.
Thoroughly explain the purpose.
Make sure the employee understands why you’re conducting an exit interview. The essential purpose is to determine whether there are problems that need to be addressed to help prevent further employee turnover.
Have a one-on-one, confidential interview.
Ensure the employee that what they say is completely confidential and nobody beyond the person conducting the interview will hear the employee’s specific comments. All information provided is only to be used anonymously and no permanent record will be retained. Don’t gang up on an employee by having multiple people conduct the interview, and make sure that the interview is conducted in private, not in front of other employees.
Ask the employee to summarize their experience before you ask questions.
Ask the employee to sum up their general experience working with the company, both positive and negative. By doing this instead of asking leading questions, the employee will likely provide more information since they won’t feel that they’re being bombarded. You’ll also be able to pick up on body language and other nonverbal cues.
Look for patterns.
After the interview, assess and tabulate the information you were given. Compare this info to that from previous exit interviews. If you notice patterns emerging, consider what needs to be done to prevent future turnover.
Ask for advice.
If an employee has negative feedback, use this opportunity to really hear their concerns and learn from your mistakes. Probe them for information that could help you develop solutions to your high turnover such as:
- How do you feel you were treated by your supervisor and coworkers?
- Do you feel the workload was evenly distributed?
- What could be done to make this company a better place to work?
Reducing turnover begins with hiring the right employees.
Let the experienced team at BOS Medical Staffing help fill your open positions. Our healthcare and medical employment agencies in Georgia give you access to professionals with specialized skills whenever you need them, for as long as you need them. Contact us today to discuss customized staffing solutions for your organization.
