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Exit interview
Old 02-16-2011, 07:17 PM   #1
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Exit interview

Has anyone done one of these? HR called my boss and set up an exit interview on the 25th, my last day. I'm highly suspicious of these folks after thirty years of watching how they work. I'm leaning toward telling them I don't care to participate.
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Old 02-16-2011, 07:22 PM   #2
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As a HR "professional" - this is your chance to spill all the beans! (on your way out the door!) Nothing will EVER improve if no one has a clue!
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Old 02-16-2011, 07:22 PM   #3
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Generally there is paperwork to do, they give you your last checks, forms for COBRA, explain how it works, etc. I've never seen it be anything strange, though I'm sure that could occur.
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Old 02-16-2011, 07:37 PM   #4
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Has anyone done one of these? HR called my boss and set up an exit interview on the 25th, my last day. I'm highly suspicious of these folks after thirty years of watching how they work. I'm leaning toward telling them I don't care to participate.
Your imagination exceeds reality........

Ask for copies of anything you might be asked to sign before the interview and review them. At the interview sign the previously reviewed non-disclosure forms, non-compete forms, Cobra, pension, etc. Turn in your badge, your keys and put the stapler you snuck into your briefcase back on your desk. Wish the HR rep a nice life and get on with yours.

Enjoy your well deserved retirement!
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Old 02-16-2011, 08:10 PM   #5
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As a HR "professional" - this is your chance to spill all the beans! (on your way out the door!) Nothing will EVER improve if no one has a clue!
Absolutely.

The usual advice I have heard concerning exit interviews, is to be careful not to burn any bridges.

That said, my exit interview was a computer thing that was theoretically anonymous (yeah, right? ). Still, I knew I was never going to need any more bridges, so to speak, so I answered the questions truthfully.
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Old 02-16-2011, 08:29 PM   #6
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Your imagination exceeds reality........

Ask for copies of anything you might be asked to sign before the interview and review them. At the interview sign the previously reviewed non-disclosure forms, non-compete forms, Cobra, pension, etc. Turn in your badge, your keys and put the stapler you snuck into your briefcase back on your desk. Wish the HR rep a nice life and get on with yours.

Enjoy your well deserved retirement!
As the youngun's would say... +1. That's pretty much the way mine went. My boss was a good guy...he and I went out for a beer a bit later.
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Old 02-16-2011, 09:49 PM   #7
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........ Ask for copies of anything you might be asked to sign before the interview and review them. At the interview sign the previously reviewed non-disclosure forms, non-compete forms, Cobra, pension, etc. Turn in your badge, your keys and put the stapler you snuck into your briefcase back on your desk. Wish the HR rep a nice life and get on with yours.

Enjoy your well deserved retirement!
+1
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Old 02-16-2011, 10:36 PM   #8
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I had to actually contact HR and request an exit interview, as nobody from there ever contacted me to request one.

The forms relating to the disposition of my 401(k) and ESOP accounts as well as the COBRA forms had already been given to me in a timely manner.

The low-level HR guy I would be speaking to had allotted 30 minutes for it but I asked him to expand it to an hour. He became a little scared at the reuqest but I assured him that I wasn't going to go postal or anything, I just knew I would have plenty to say after 23 years of working there although most of it would pertain to the more recent years as to why I was leaving. (It was the commute, mainly.)

The exit interview took a little over an hour on my second-to-last day and was cathartic to a degree. I did not expect the company to change anything because of my gripes.

Nobody accompanied me as I left the building for the last time. I had to give my ID card to the building's security personnel after I went through the exit turnstiles. Then I was on my way home........FREE AT LAST!
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Old 02-16-2011, 11:20 PM   #9
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I don't think there's any point spilling bad milk during an exit interview for the simple reason that usually no serious action is taken unless the complaints can lead to legal actions. So, if you don't want to burn bridges, just exit and go. I was happy with my last employer and during the exit interview, I had only good things to say and just one or two constructive points. I think the interviewer was very happy with the results because she kept asking me whether my boss persuaded me to keep my job and is there anything the firm can do to help me rethink my ER.
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Old 02-17-2011, 05:38 AM   #10
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If you are suspicious, then ask for receipts for any company property that you have to turn in or leave behind like PC or laptop, mobile phone, company credit cards, paper clips, etc.

Just kidding about paper clips, but one place where I worked kept the paper clips under lock and key and one had to be escorted by the 20something admin to get paper clips -- or any other office supplies. Not making this up. What a bunch of amateurs!
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Old 02-17-2011, 09:18 AM   #11
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If you are suspicious, then ask for receipts for any company property that you have to turn in or leave behind like PC or laptop, mobile phone, company credit cards, paper clips, etc.

Just kidding about paper clips, but one place where I worked kept the paper clips under lock and key and one had to be escorted by the 20something admin to get paper clips -- or any other office supplies. Not making this up. What a bunch of amateurs!


LOL... this reminds me of a boss I heard about at mega... he did not like people transferring.. but if they did.... he would look through their boxes for pens, staplers etc... and remove them

His thinking was his budget paid for them... so he was going to keep them...
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Old 02-17-2011, 09:42 AM   #12
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Has anyone done one of these? HR called my boss and set up an exit interview on the 25th, my last day. I'm highly suspicious of these folks after thirty years of watching how they work. I'm leaning toward telling them I don't care to participate.
I think that a couple of years of ER will make the HR exit interview fade from significance. It might even be possible to later regret a few utterances that seemed appropriate at the time.

My feeling was that if I couldn't take the responsibility for trying to fix the problems as part of the work force, then I couldn't enjoy the privilege of throwing hand grenades on the way out the door.

About halfway through my career I had a raving sociopath for a supervisor. I'd like to think that the painkillers for his chronic medical condition contributed to the problem, but that's a pretty flimsy excuse for his behavior.

Nearly a decade later, as I was on the final months of my tour at my retirement command, he became the CO. I was ready to take up the offensive again but then I realized that there was nothing he could really do anymore to affect my quality of life. I'd built up a pretty strong network at the command and as long as I didn't overstep my rank then I had more support than he did. We spent the next 18 months together mutually ignoring each other. I didn't even bother to submit a retirement fitness report, and he didn't bother to ask about it.

As I learned more about his family, I realized he'd had nearly two decades to do to them what he'd only had a few years to do to me... and he was reaping the rewards for his efforts. Not only that but his medical condition had thoroughly had its way with him and he was doing everything in his power to make it even worse. For example he was advised to take a couple weeks of bed rest to enable infusions of antibiotics to help clear up a staph infection in his hip implant. However he felt that the command would grind to a screeching halt if he wasn't in the CO's office every day between 7 AM and 5 PM. So a month later the surgeon literally removed his implant. His self-imposed karma was its own reward.

During my exit interview I told him I had nothing for him. I'd enjoyed my career and I was looking forward to my retirement. Aloha oe.

A few years later the DoD's investigative service called me to update his application for a security clearance. I have no idea why he'd put my name down for a reference, but I assured the interviewer that I felt the best thing was to say nothing at all.

I do, however, have a Google Alert set for his name...
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Old 02-17-2011, 11:14 AM   #13
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Just kidding about paper clips, but one place where I worked kept the paper clips under lock and key and one had to be escorted by the 20something admin to get paper clips -- or any other office supplies. Not making this up. What a bunch of amateurs!
I worked at one of those too. The old crotchety secretary had to unlock the supply cabinet so that I could get a pen or post-its or other things like that. How frikin silly.
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Old 02-17-2011, 11:26 AM   #14
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I love that Nords has Google alerts for psychopaths in his past...I might have to put a few names on there myself.
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Old 02-17-2011, 11:54 AM   #15
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I love that Nords has Google alerts for psychopaths in his past...I might have to put a few names on there myself.
It's the best we can do pending the release of "Google Obituary"...
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Old 02-17-2011, 12:08 PM   #16
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I think that a couple of years of ER will make the HR exit interview fade from significance. It might even be possible to later regret a few utterances that seemed appropriate at the time....snip
For me, the exit interview fades after I walk out.

If it's 30 minutes, just do it as a courtesy. Schedule it early in the day as sometimes you get dismissed after the meeting, then u have a free day.

It's been standard procedure in most of my departures, i.e. collect laptop, ID card, keys, etc. They listen if you have any concerns and ask why you are leaving. In my case it's always been promotion, less travel, or closer to family.

I avoid voicing the negative comments as I view it as management consulting.... you really want to know, hire me as a consultant to outline the issues, but I bill at $250 an hour ;-)

Congrats and Good luck.
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Old 02-17-2011, 04:50 PM   #17
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I would stay mum and just smile, nod and read the fine print you are asked to sign. They will heavily discount any criticisms you might offer, so keep it short and neutral. Then go have fun.
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Old 02-17-2011, 04:55 PM   #18
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Thanks for the replies. I decided to decline. I don't have anything bad to say about my work location but I just think I want my last day to be as normal as possible. That and our HR rep gives all of us the heebie jeebies when she is in the plant.
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Old 02-17-2011, 04:57 PM   #19
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As a HR "professional" - this is your chance to spill all the beans! (on your way out the door!) Nothing will EVER improve if no one has a clue!
I "outrank" the HR professional who will be asked to conduct my exit interview, so I will insist on providing my answers in writing via email. Otherwise they'll get pat answers.

If "no one has a clue" before you retire, that doesn't speak well of "you" to begin with. Why would you decide to tell HR only after you've left?

While it might make me feel better (for about 10 minutes) to talk about the company's shortcomings, it won't serve any purpose. They responded to most of my concerns while I was working there. And for the issues they chose not to respond to for whatever reason (some probably good, some not), they certainly aren't going to listen 'better' when I'm gone. I may want to work again, so I'll ask most of them for references, recommendations, etc. before I leave. Seems silly to vent on the way out - senseless ego IMO, YMMV...
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Old 02-17-2011, 05:28 PM   #20
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I avoid voicing the negative comments as I view it as management consulting.... you really want to know, hire me as a consultant to outline the issues, but I bill at $250 an hour ;-)
We don't do exit interviews for retirees, just people who resign to go work somewhere else.

I'll try to say only good things on the way out. Not because I'm worried about bridges. I realized long ago that those who are "out to get you," enjoy it when you're discontented, and the rest don't care.

Nords, I've run afoul of a few psychopaths myself. You did just the right thing. They are like the devil--only happy when they can get somebody's goat.

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