How have you done exit interviews? (employers, job, career, company)

[bighusker]

I don't think they are worthless and I have always been honest in them. That doesn't mean I "trash" the employer, but I am blunt about reasons I was not happy on the job.

The last time I switched jobs, I told the company in the exit interview that:

• they weren't paying their developers at market rate
• they lied to me about a promised raise after 1 year when I was hired
• the expectations were out of whack for the amount of money they were paying
• the benefits (especially the lack of a 401K match) were ****ty

After I left, a few other developers told the same story when they quit. Eventually, the company got the message and I think they have fixed a lot of those bullet points.

There are probably some companies that you can't trust, but if most companies are going to go through the trouble of doing an exit interview, they are going to listen to your feedback. As long as you aren't flipping people off, dropping f-bombs and referring to various managers as "*******s", it shouldn't put you on any blacklists. If it does, that's not a person you want to be working for any way.

[Nema98]

Interesting responses, I have not had one but it is
Bound to happen as I get older.

[RVD90277]

I'm usually very honest but I stick to facts, not opinions. For example, I won't say that I did not like my manager. I will give examples of where I thought my manager made some mistakes causing me to question his ability to lead the team.

I usually keep it somewhat positive in that I say that I enjoyed the experience and learned a lot, etc.

At my last company, they mostly got rid of exit interviews though...they just did it on a website where you have to rate a bunch of things and then you had some free form boxes to write stuff. i doubt they did anything with these though.

[katie45]

If an exiting employee bashes the company, or individuals within the company, all that amounts to is that the employee is perceived as having a negative attitude and the company is much better off now that the person is moving on.

Company president who received copies of exit interviews made that statement after reading the exit interview of a departing employee who spoke the truth about her manager who had mistreated employees and created a hostile workplace.

[hunterseat]

Never burn bridges. Honesty and respect are valued but slamming someone when it's too late to do anything about it is sort of chicken sh-t if you ask me.

[snowtired14]

Careers are long, life has a lot of twists and turns and you never know when old colleagues may have moved on from the "old" company and turn up where you're going. Sage advice, choose your words, don't burn your bridges.

[lurtsman]

I tried being honest once and the HR manager started lighting into me in the interview. She had no business asking questions when she couldn't bear the answers. Now I just say, "Put me down for everything was great and now I'm gone". I haven't done a real "exit" interview since that first one when I was young and willing to be honest with them about why they were losing so many people.

[stanley-88888888]

i never had an exit interview... if you are leaving, what are you interviewing for (promotion ?). or to keep a good perception with the company in case you are able to return ? what if you dont do the exit interview... i guess they would fire you ?

[mila123]

As someone who, I believe, is a victim of bullying/mobbing by management and peers, you bet I'm going to say something when I leave. I do not plan on ever going back. We have already lost a couple quality employees due to this abuse (they move from one target to another. Sadly I'm the current target), and they left without saying a word. I know others in our small group that feel the same. Imagine if all of us spoke up to HR. Maybe then something good could happen. Staying silent just enables bad behavior.

[ccm123]

Kept everything professional, you don't want to burn bridges.