Small Business: How To Use Exit Interviews As A Tool To Improve Your Future Business
nterviews are traditionally used to find out “why people leave”. You’re much better off treating them as a chance to seek the opinion of employees who’ve resigned. Forget the “heart to heart” chats about the past. concentrate on obtaining information to enhance the future.
What An Exit Interview Is Not. An exit interview is not the time to convince the employee to stay. Do not use it for this purpose. Once an employee submits a resignation, they’re lost – emotionally and mentally if not physically. No matter how much it hurts, accept the fact, cut your losses, find out what you can and leave it at that.
Have Clear Objectives. Objectives should be specific and measurable; not open ended and general e.g. “To reduce delays in paying invoices” not “to discuss invoicing procedures”. Balance is a most important objective. Resignees should be asked about “good things” as well as “bad things”. e.g. “What are the major benefits of working with us, our systems, our relationships”.
Prepare Well. Treat each exit interview separately. There are no standard questions. Ask questions specific to the resignee, their job and their experience in your business. You set the tone. You’ll get the quality of information you deserve.
Be prepared. Write down your questions before you start. If issues arise that require further questioning, follow them up then. Don’t rely on your memory. Don’t rely on your memory. Record what resignees actually say as they say it.
Be Careful of Extreme Responses. Remember, an issue that’s irritating a resignee may be perfectly acceptable to other employees. Never accept a statement by a resignee that can’t be verified and supported by “stayers”.
It’s common for resignees to be reluctant to say anything that could “backfire” against them or damage an established relationship. Alternatively, if they?ve “thrown caution to the winds”, they may use the interview as “payback” against persons they’ve clashed with. Either way, you’ll get little useful information.
Use Precise Questions. Avoid broad, imprecise questions like “Why are you leaving?” or “What’s making you leave?” Ask “What’ s so attractive about your new job compared with here?” You may find that the resignee is just moving on to an opportunity you can’t offer. Focus on gaining information you can use to improve things. You want information that leads to future improvements.
Seek Positive Comments. Be as positive as possible. Seek positives before negatives. Balance “What’s wrong” with “What’s right”. This helps you to evaluate objectivity in resignees? responses. If resignees launch into criticisms of individuals, try to turn the comments from “who” to “what”. If the resignee persists with personal criticism, terminate the interview.
Avoid Speculation. Never ask questions requiring speculative answers. Ask only about work related matters that they’re competent to answer. Don’t ask salespeople about transport or marketing managers about accounting. Avoid questions that refer vaguely to “the company”. Ask “How could we have made work in IT more stimulating for you?” not “What’s your opinion of the company’s IT approach?”
The “Why” Trap. It?s difficult, but try to avoid questions starting with “why”. “Why” questions encourage speculation and opinions. If you want facts start your questions with “how”, “what”, “when”, “which” and “where” ……… even “who”.
Beware Of Interviewer “Agendas” Interviewer subjectivity can be a problem. Should an interviewer have an “axe to grind”, he or she may subconsciously direct the interview in such a way as to confirm views already held. Self-fulfilling prophesies are common in exit interviews.
Conclusion. Exit interviews can provide useful and valuable assistance for managers. Good exit interviews require absolute clarity of objectives, an enhanced level of interview skills and total objectivity from the interviewer. With all these present plus a cooperative, positive, honest and well informed resignee, the exit interview is a sound tool.
The Business Opportunity Secret the Gurus Can't Afford you to Know
Growing up I was always a good student in school and I credit a great deal of that to having good teachers. Good teachers make you want to listen, learn, and, subsequently, follow their instruction. The end result of this for me was very good grades, and with good grades doors opened and opportunities presented themselves. As I recall many of my teachers never shied from going the extra mile in facilitating learning to any student who truly wanted or needed help. It was an impression that had a profound impact on me later in my life, as occasionally at work Ill be in a position where I have to become a mentor or instructor to a subordinate or colleague in a way that is important to the company we work for. If my teaching is less than effective it is evident to the whole company, that my inadequate instruction not only hinders company objectives, but also leaves me red-faced embarrassed in front of all other company employees to see. The point being, I make certain that doesnt happen and that my instruction is well delivered and understood, and, thus, my name and reputation stay intact and the company moves forward.
As someone who has always been interested in providing more for my family, I ventured into the realm of business opportunities. As I initially investigated some programs I became very heartened. It appeared there were people who would be more than happy in providing me with the information and instruction I would need to accomplish the goal of providing more. The sales page assured me of the persons qualifications, of the opportunitys legitimacy, testimonials were often provided, and the system would contain proprietary information that no one else knew about unless they paid to obtain the information. I appreciated these people who apparently were going the extra mile in making sure I could reach my financial dreams. However, something happened on the way to those dreams. The mentoring and instruction was and is deficient. Of course, this wasnt evident in just one out of ten business opportunities, but TEN OUT OF TEN! I reevaluated everything and figured that if anyone really did have a system for making money&WHY WOULD THEY EVER SHARE IT! However, that is not close to being the end of the story. What I dont understand is why the mentors who put their names to these systems have virtually no public shame. No red-faced public embarrassment appears to be experienced as the systems they originate flop for everyone over and over again. Dont they care about their names&or is the trade-off of money a good enough equalizer they can live with (it must be)? Of course, the weak explanation the seller has is the money back guarantee. Money given back from an inadequate product/service in the real world is a gesture from a company for you to try them again. Money given back (if you get any money back) from a business opportunity seller makes you want to puke. As a corporate employee I remember that there was no such thing as me guaranteeing my guidance and instruction to a colleague. I was being paid and my performance was a mere formality.
Online and offline business opportunity sellers are also getting paid, however, it has become a mere formality for them not to deliver quality information. Why? The explanation is a rather simple one. First off, they want something for nothing. Secondly, they want you to follow their step-by-step methods&and fail! Thats right. Business opportunity sellers want you to fail&and lose confidence in whatever program they sold you on! Why? To make certain you buy the next program they are selling! And you will be given another set of step-by-step instruction&and fail&and lose confidence in the plan and the cycle continues on and on.
They need for you to keep following their step-by-step instruction; they need for you to lose confidence in the plan, and, subsequently, yourself; they need you to keep buying the next plan&to prohibit you from discovering a real method of success. Why? Are you ready for this because it will blow your mind? The reason you are encouraged to follow a step-by-step plan (in addition to the above mentioned) is because business opportunity sellers CANNOT afford for you to succeed by one of the greatest success principles applied by many of the greatest success stories of all time&TRIAL and ERROR! You see there might be a plan that works for you, however, only if you stopped long enough to veer off long enough, to followed your own instincts, to believe in yourself to change something. Of course, the warnings come You are breaking the terms of the guarantee, or Read the disclaimer again. (I get a kick out of disclaimers anyway, how you are to follow a step-by-step method to success, but the disclaimer says that even if you do¬hing might happen!) Or the warning might come from within, it could be your own internal dialogue that ignites your fear of success and feeds your right to failure. The point is dont be afraid to be wrong in order to find out right. Making money is rarely a linear or straight-line process that a guru outlines in a step-by-step program. Dont be afraid to take one step backward to lay the foundation for going two steps forward. Be more afraid if you continue to follow the step-by-step plans with headlines that promise you riches. In short, for heaven sakes, dont be afraid of trial and error! There are many who have done just that and have quietly succeeded with moderate home-based businesses in small Internet niches. So next time you come across a roadblock with somebody elses step-by-step plan&find a way to succeed and make the plan better your way! In conclusion, trial and error has made many a person rich and here is the irony&many of the better and legitimate step-by-step plans that really benefit people came as a result of trial and error!