Do exit interviews work? This is the question Australian Businesswomen’s Network member, Natasha Hawker, answered in an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 5 February 2014. Natasha believes most small to medium businesses don’t complete exit interviews, much to their detriment.
“Most small businesses wouldn’t even know what their turnover rates are,” Natasha, the owner of Employee Matters, told Sydney Morning Herald.
Anything over a 10 – 20% turnover is excessive when it comes to recruitment man power and expenses, Natasha says. But if you are in a workplace that has a high staff turnover, it might be time to analyse your worker’s motives at an exit interview.
“I would always ask them what they’ve liked about working here, and what they haven’t liked or what they would improve,” Natasha said. “If they could change one thing within the organisation with their magic wand, what would they change?”
However, Natasha acknowledges that quite often the problem is a time issue.
“Small businesses are often running so hard and they’re so time-poor that they don’t actually manage their people,” she says. “They [employees] often leave because they’re frustrated with the business – typically it’s either money or poor time management.”
