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MHA
Service Corporation Professional Search Services, Stephen O’Connor,
Senior Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June
2007 |
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Get
More Out of Exit Interviews
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Exit interviews can provide organizations with the intelligence they need to improve. Take these steps to maximize the impact:
Adapted from “Exit Interviews Can Really Say a Lot About a Company,” by Michael Kinsman, in the San Diego Union-Tribune |
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Want a sure-fire way to sabotage an exit interview? Start by saying, “I know you don’t want to burn any bridges, but ...” By reminding workers that providing honest feedback could damage their reputations and have a negative impact on future references, you virtually guarantee they’ll clam up. Instead, focus on reassuring them that their comments will be kept confidential and will be used to improve the work environment for the colleagues they leave behind. Adapted from “This Way to the Exit Interview,” by Ken Gaffey, on the People First Solutions Web site |
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by Stephen O'Connor Earlier
in my career, I was a vocational rehabilitation counselor. My
job was to
Years later I was traveling north with friends. It was late and we stopped at a rough looking tavern where we could get pizza take out. There was a sign taped to the mirror behind the bar that read, “No fist fighting allowed.” Our objective was to stay alive until the pizza was ready. We sat down and waited. I became aware that this very large man was glaring at me. I tried not to look at him but the more I did, the more interested he became. He got up and started towards us. He approached, sat down and brought his arm to rest, with a thud, on the table. Thrusting out of an empty sleeve, pointed directly at me, was a gleaming metal hook. Ooh Boy. Now, I’m sweating bullets. I look around to my “friends” for support and they’ve all taken a sudden interest in the Patsy Cline selection on the Wurlitzer. At this point he’s so close I can smell the beef jerky on his breath. He said, “You’re ... You’re ...?” As he stuttered, I studied his face. I watched the scruffy beard disappear, the rough crow’s feet fade and his thinning hair thicken under a baseball cap. There he was, 18 again, scared and hurting. It was Brian. We recognized each other, almost at once. As his look of puzzlement faced into a warm smile of recognition, his eyes filled. “You’re Steve O’Connor aren’t you,” he said softly. I just smiled. He waved his buddies over to join us and began to tell the story. “If it wasn’t for this guy, I never would have finished high school. After I lost my arm I was really a mess. Steve hounded me to stay in school, learn how to use this hook and give that job a chance. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am now.” And he was successful — holding down a good job and able to pay his own way. We talked until the pizza came, shook hands and we left. I had often wondered what happened to Brian. Now I knew. It felt good. I had missed the chance to “exit interview” Brian before he drifted out of my life. Many human resource professionals miss the same opportunity. Exit interviews are important. They can be the catalyst for organizational improvement or, if not handled well, the source of litigation exposure. Robert D. Webb, associate attorney in the Boston firm of Nutter, McClennen and Fish offers the following tips for conducting interviews with your departing employees: Prepare for the interview, anticipate the types of questions that will be asked, bring appropriate benefit plan documents to the interview, and when you’re not absolutely certain about the answers to an employee’s questions, don’t guess. (See sidebar for more details.) The exit interview may be your last chance to hook the information you need. And you never know how or where that information will come back to you-or how many years it could take off your life! This article originally appeared in the May/June 2001 issue of Michigan Health & Hospitals magazine and is being used with permission. |
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Employees’ exit interviews can help you make changes to reduce future turnover. Here are five questions worth asking:
Adapted from “How Companies Can Make the Most of Exit Interviews,” by Marcia Heroux Pounds, in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel |
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Done right, exit interviews can improve retention by identifying systemic workplace problems. But done wrong, these farewell chats cause more harm than good. Here are some suggestions collected from successful programs:
Adapted from “Defectors Provide Key Information,” by Doug Tsuruoka, in Investor’s Business Daily |
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Steve
O'Connor, SPHR, |
Professional Search Services
When you need a healthcare management recruiter, call Steve O’Connor at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association in Lansing, MI at (517) 663-5755. He’s the search consultant who produces this monthly newsletter and has hundreds of management candidates currently registered with his service. Most are open to relocation. You are also invited to browse his web site for more information on Professional Search Services at www.mhaservicecorp.com. Available positions may include: CEO/CFO/COO/VP • Facilities Management • Finance • Food Service • Fund Development • Health Information Management • Home Health Care • Human Resources • Information Systems • Managed Care • Management Engineering • Marketing/Public Relations • Materials Management • Nursing Administration • Physician Practice Administrators • Planning• Rehabilitation Management • Social Work • Training and Development • Utilization Review For more information contact: Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director Corporate Office:
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Professional
Search Services
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Management
Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
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Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
Full Service Background Screening Sales Department |
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