Exit interview

[wigglerose]

I'm leaving my position due to a bunch of niggling little issues and big issues too. They're very subjective though.

I'm not sure how to explain in the exit interview.

I've never had one before. Do I focus on what I'll do in the new role and hope they'll infer that I'm leaving because my current role lacks those aspects?

Or am I more blunt and give reasons as in "when I raised progression in my role I did not receive much engagement eg I expected us to agree a personal development plan." "The way X was handled left me feeling that the goalposts kept shifting" "lack of engagement on progression and my projects being given away to more senior colleagues and an unwillingness to provide feedback gave me the impression that it was felt that I wasn't suited for progression in my role."

I think they'll not pick up on my reasons if I take the first approach and will take it like I'm just interested in doing different work that I can't do at my current job (but I probably won't burn bridges) but the second approach will explain why but will probably piss my line manager off since I'm essentially saying that he is the reason I'm leaving.

Any managers or HR bods with advice?

Yes be blunt and honest. They may or may not do anything to prevent similar in future, but they can’t take action based on inferring the reasons.

I’ve sat through many an exit interview and I agree with flowery, honest and factual is the best policy.

Thanks guys.

I'd say as little as possible, an exit interview is for their benefit, not yours. Don't say much/anything about your new job, it's none of their business. Don't blag specific people, sometimes its a small world and you never know when you might meet them again.

Blah blah, got a more interesting offer is about enough.

@filka

I'd say as little as possible, an exit interview is for their benefit, not yours. Don't say much/anything about your new job, it's none of their business. Don't blag specific people, sometimes its a small world and you never know when you might meet them again.

Blah blah, got a more interesting offer is about enough.

Yes I tend to agree

Agree with filka. You may need a reference one day. Not wise to bad-mouth the person who may be writing it.

@MrsSkylerWhite

Agree with filka. You may need a reference one day. Not wise to bad-mouth the person who may be writing it.

HR writes references

When I had my last exit interview I was retiring from paid employment and so I was brutally honest. The only result was that I have never been invited back to the leaving do’s of my one time colleagues. But I was retiring earlier than I had planned and it was because of the change in culture of the department.

Today 20:43 Lostandlittle

MrsSkylerWhite
Agree with filka. You may need a reference one day. Not wise to bad-mouth the person who may be writing it.
HR writes references“

Indeed. My HR was awful. So, didn’t name names.

Back in about 1987 I went to do an audit of an oil company in Norway, which involved quite a lot of contact with the expat finance manager. About 13 years later I was working for said oil company in Azerbaijan and he pitched up one day as my boss! It's a small world.

But my general policy is never to burn bridges, you just never know when you might need them.

@Lostandlittle depends on the field in my field line managers do or academic supervisors do.

I filled a formal complaint when I left one of my jobs but I only worked there for 3 mo ths and I could fill my cv with other stuff to fill the gap essentially just pretending I never worked there. In my case I burnt the bridge because my previous boss and the one I was leaving to work for held more respect in the field and I knew I had their backing. The were also both fully aware of the bullying that made me leave. If burning bridges is not an issue be honest but I would consider how it may come back to bite you in the ass but randoms on mumsnet dont know enough specifics to help there.

With my HR head on, I say be honest about it all.

With my employee head on, I say be a bit circumspect.

You can give them the reason without the full detail/complaining about your manager.

You are leaving to progress your career, and you don't see that opportunity here.

You do realise you're not obliged to take part in an exit interview? You can politely decline and leave with a clean record so they have no excuse to not support a prompt reference.

They rarely change much, it's just a chance for HR to dig the dirt. But then I'm cynical about the process because organisations ask when someone is leaving when they could be trying to fix the issues and save staff from walking out the door. Typical "lock the stable door after the horse has bolted" action.

@MrsSkylerWhite

Today 20:43 Lostandlittle

MrsSkylerWhite
Agree with filka. You may need a reference one day. Not wise to bad-mouth the person who may be writing it.
HR writes references“

Indeed. My HR was awful. So, didn’t name names.

Doesn’t HR now day confirm dates of employment and that’s all?

If you already have had another job that’s already cleared with references than surely they aren’t necessary?

At my exit interview from my last job, I told it exactly how it was. The HR person I was talking to was aware of certain long-standing issues and I was able to fill them in, and more. My aim was to ensure that nobody had to deal with the crap I'd been dealt in the future. So in some ways, it was quite positive: this isn't working because of this and this, for this area you need proper training, the policy on this and this is not being adhered to. I gave examples to back up what I'd said.