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.