Exit Interview Question

[PeaMcLean]

I've been asked to conduct an exit interview for someone leaving our organisation. I'm not a HR person at all but I am management.

But I know I'm going to have to listen to two hours of an snidey, unprofessional woman ranting on about how she's been hard done by, that everyone else is incompetent (that will include people I respect) and that people are wrong to not recognise her achievements. I've had similar experiences with her a couple of times already.

I know why I've been asked to do it (short staffed), but can I say no?

And anyway, shouldn't it be someone from HR who hears it?

Two hours!

Gosh.

Will you have to take notes and forward her comments to some one senior?

I wonder what this interview will achieve, if you already have a good idea why she's going. Why not just ask her in writing, so that she replies in writing?

Its a hell of a responsibility if this women is bitter. If it goes wrong she may want to take things to some sort of employment tribunal. Could you not say to HR that you are concerned that this is what she intends and hence things should in this instance be handled by a trained HR representative of the company and be appropriately minuted?

Do you have a script to follow?

If so, ask the questions on it, and note down her answers. Don't get emotionally involved.

Would be better in writing, but the last time she submitted a complaint in email form, it printed out at 19 pages. Hence why I suspect it could take two hours...

I think that I'll be accompanied by someone junior from HR to take notes. I'd just rather not do it at all. I'm not sufficiently unbiased.

Sounds like you should tell her she's going because she's too verbose?