And they also use them to find out what non-financial benefits they can offer to help to retain staff.
“For example, our salary survey this year also found that almost half of employees would accept a lower salary in return for flexible hours. By asking leaving employees what would have influenced them to stay, employers can find out what they can do to ensure remaining employees become more engaged.”
Employers should think carefully about exit interviews to ensure they get useful information, says Alexander. They should never be carried out by the leaving employee’s immediate boss – who may be part of the problem – and some organisations might employ a third party to carry them out.
Employees should also be asked open-ended questions, which allow them to say what they really think about the company culture and management, their actual job and even their relationship with colleagues and clients.
