Is My HR Appraisal Topic on Exit Interviews Feasible? Seeking Insights and Suggestions

Hi, this is Anusha, a final year BBA student. I am currently working on my final year project, and the topic assigned to me is "HR Appraisal with Reference to Exit Interview Process." Is this a feasible topic for study? Can anyone please suggest any changes to be made to the topic?

Understanding Exit Interviews

If not, please explain to me why exit interviews are conducted in companies and to what extent the results are considered in improving various aspects of the organization. Are exit interviews commonly practiced in many companies? If so, why, and could you suggest some companies that follow exit formalities?

Thank you.

Regards, Anu

Understanding Exit Interviews

Exit interviews are conducted with departing employees just before they leave. From the employer's perspective, the primary aim of the exit interview is to learn the reasons for the person's departure, on the basis that criticism is a helpful driver for organizational improvement.

Need more clarifications? Call me.

Regards,
Laxmi
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I agree with the comments of our friends above. Please remember that HR appraisal may be one of the reasons (the negative feedback) for a person to leave and will result in an Exit Interview. So how come you are combining both the topics under one heading? One is the cause, and the other is the effect! Maybe you can consider modifying the heading, such as: "Effect of HR Appraisal on Employee Exit!"

Best wishes.

Dear Anusha, it is definitely a new topic for you, a unique one too. However, it's up to you how well you are going to approach this and make it a significant one for your examiners. You have to collect various things. To start with, read all the links provided on the right side of your screen so that you will have an idea of how and where to start the project work. Try to discuss with some HR Managers for their firsthand experience, especially their follow-up actions, if any, on the exit interviews they have conducted.

Importance of Exit Interviews

What is more important here is "how companies are using the sum and substance of these interviews." It is interesting to note the fact that most of the outgoing employees are expected to speak their minds, highlighting their bad moments. Many might even choose to complain about their bosses and colleagues, narrating how their best efforts were undercut/blocked (they naturally have to give some excuses for quitting). You might as well analyze in detail the various causes for such exits.

Analyzing Attrition

Moreover, you might also analyze the concept of attrition, its ratios, etc., as it has a direct link to the exit. These topics have already been discussed in this forum; use them to your best advantage. As you progress, you might require some more guidance, so don't hesitate to raise them here.

All the best.

Regards, kumar.s.

The Importance of Exit Interviews

It's better to conduct an exit interview and gather both positive and negative comments from an exiting employee. Based on those comments, we can appraise the present employees, provide a better working environment, and reduce attrition or turnover.

Best wishes for your project.

Personally, I think this is a wonderful topic to analyze and study. Unfortunately, the whole process of an 'exit interview' in most companies is conducted just for namesake; there is no follow-up action. An exit interview, if conducted properly, will shed light on many things that one might not have considered. While we often assume employees work solely for money or position, an exit interview can highlight several other aspects that may have disturbed an employee, such as dealing with an annoying boss or encountering misguided organizational policies, to name a few examples. It would be ideal to visit some companies and gather actual facts collected during the exit interview process for analysis.

Objective of the Topic

This topic aims to provide an honest formal assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the 'exit interview' process. I also appreciate the thoughts shared by our other readers, including Lakshmi, who has succinctly described the entire process.

Need for Real-time Examples

Real-time examples would help illustrate the necessity of this procedure. If you can effectively convey the importance and value that this process adds to management, it would be greatly appreciated. Please make an effort to delve deep into all aspects and subsequently share your findings with the group.

All the best.

Regards, Ravi Narayan

Thoughts on Exit Interviews

Having worked in HR for over two decades and heading the HR function, we often found it very difficult to conduct exit interviews on the last day or last week of an employee's stay. The reason is that we are headquartered in Bangalore, and our employees are spread far and wide all over the country, making it next to impossible to conduct a sincere and committed exit interview.

Another reason against conducting the exit interview in the last few days of an employee's stay in the company is that the employee may not be in a proper frame of mind to communicate what 'actually' made them quit the company. The reasons could be simple or complex, involving one person or many.

Yet another reason could be that the employee may be nervous, uncertain, or anxious until they move out and join a new organization. Until then, they would like to keep themselves aloof, with their thoughts focused on starting the new job as soon as possible. Mentally, they may not be well-equipped to speak their heart out. I have seen many colleagues who would not even reveal where they are heading. They used to tell me, "Sir, I have two or three offer letters but have yet to decide." This is one way of not leaving behind any trail about their movements!

Consequently, it is not advisable and prudent to conduct an exit interview in the last few days of an employee's time in an organization.

However, a few years ago, one of our senior HR professionals suggested that we keep in touch with the ex-employee and talk to them after about one or two months, once they have settled into their new job. By then, they would have adjusted to their new role and may be more focused on what led them to leave their previous job. At least the reasons could be 75 to 90% accurate, and if we are serious about understanding the reasons for quitting, we may arrive at the reality.

Please keep these factors in mind while conducting the project work.

Best wishes

I also suggest that you open a blog, Facebook, Twitter account, or webpage of your own and invite comments and narratives of the exit interviews they have given. Also, share any feedback they received from the company they left after the interview. This will help you minimize your search time and save time. I hope many will look at your request and respond. This feedback will certainly help you in completing your unique project work with commendation.

Regards,
Kumar S.

With my experience, I don't think that employees leaving companies give genuine reasons for their decisions. You can be a good friend, but you may never find the real reason (especially if negative) in writing. This is simply because their potential future employers might reach out to them for reference checks, and they have a gut feeling that we might pursue this (sometimes encountered with small to medium-sized businesses). Even if you ask them to provide it in writing (knowing the real reason), they probably won't. Therefore, relying on such interviews or viewing it as a form of appraisal may not yield significant results. While we can discuss various topics, focusing on a practical one would be more beneficial and could contribute to the learning curve.

Why is an Exit Interview Important?

When an employee decides to leave or resign, an exit interview should be conducted. This is necessary to understand the employee's sentiments and opinions regarding the institution, its policies and procedures, compensation, and other relevant issues. The purpose of the exit interview is to identify any communication gaps, conduct a needs analysis, and make the necessary changes to create a more positive and productive work environment.

An exit interview is held when an employee is leaving the company, either through resignation or retirement. The management seeks feedback from the employee regarding the company's policies, working environment, relationships with seniors, and overall experience working at the company. The feedback provided by the departing employee is analyzed by management to determine if any corrective actions are necessary. The HR department also conducts an analysis to enhance the existing policies and rules based on the feedback received. It is important to note that feedback from departing employees can sometimes be subjective rather than objective, requiring careful consideration.

Nevertheless, the concept of an exit interview serves as a valuable tool for companies to evaluate their operations and policies for improvement. If you are interested in receiving an article or paper on this topic, please feel free to email me at [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons].

Regards,
Srivastava

My heartfelt thanks to all who have readily acknowledged my message. First, while signing up on CITE HR, I was not very sure how all this works on the site. But seeing so many responses, I feel really happy and thankful to everyone who has replied to me.

Current Focus: Exit Interview Process

Currently, we have planned only to stick to the EXIT INTERVIEW process in the company where we completed the internship, as the appraisal seemed a little confusing. We have gathered various papers necessary for it and have started the project. Once our questionnaire is prepared, I will post it on the site. I kindly request you all to fill it in with respect to the previous companies in which you have worked, in case you have work experience in more than two companies.

I will keep updating my project reports too. Thank you so much.

Regards,
Anu

Here are some materials attached, culled from a few sites. I hope these may be useful to you to start with.

Regards,
Kumar S.