Exit Interview techniques for business growth.

What you need to do when an employee leaves your business.

Sometimes when an employee resigns, we really don’t want them to go and sometimes we breathe a huge sigh of relief. It's a fact of life that people will one day exit your business. Here is how to approach making the most of that situation.

Ideally, you want to be able to grow your people within your business as it grows, but sometimes people just need new horizons.

What matters the most is that you make it a positive experience for the person leaving – it’s really hard for employees to leave a business. It’s emotional for everyone and a little bit of the grieving process happens for all concerned – you, the business owner, included.

Exit interviews really help that process. The exit interview allows the person departing to tell of their experience with you in a positive way and to express any views he or she might have on how the time with your business may have been improved – even a little. Expect this, as people view things differently.

Exit interviews are valuable insight into future business processes

This will enable you to get insight and perspective on what you need for the future – both in that role and in your future business – assuming your business strategy is based on growth. You will probably gain valuable insight to any managers you have, how you are viewed yourself and any other internal perspectives.

The trick here is to provide a frame for people to input to – to steer their feedback into the areas where there is most value. This will both keep departing employees on a positive note and give you the feedback that is the most helpful for you.

Exit interviews are not compulsory for business owners. Many employers are afraid of negative feedback, but generally speaking – people want to contribute positively and helpfully. Exit interviews are also not compulsory for departing employees, so do make this process optional and anonymous if preferred – much like culture surveys.