The Exit Interview

There are two schools of thought on the exit interview.


Do them or not (like everything else!)

Conducting exit interviews gives the company insight as to potential opportunities to change or improve. This happens when the interview questions focus on big picture.  This works best when the interviewer is objective and perhaps from a third party as opposed to your boss or the HR Manager.

Letting an exit interview get out of hand and into a character assassination is certainly not the way to get your message across.  Use this time, if asked about specific feedback on a person, to provide exact examples with potential solutions or changes that can be made.  This will help clarify the situation that caused issues and also provide a great learning opportunity. (Is this difficult?  Sure, sometimes it is....but take the high road- you never know when paths may cross again.  And it just feels better!!)

The philosophy of not doing exit interviews is really all about not wanting to hear 'the whining'. If you work for this company, and want to say your part, then do so in your resignation explanation. Feedback is always a good tool, whether others want to listen at the moment or not. 

Leaving an organization (or more than likely,  the leader of your team) can be emotional or free-ing. All depending on the circumstances you have had to work in for the last while and what your next steps will be.

Having your say is important to leaving on good terms and providing closure to the experience. There is always the potential, because we cannot tell the future, that you may work with them again, whether it's the leader or the interviewer. Your thoughts and experiences are important  - make sure you share them.

Keep Talent

Of all the assets a company can have, it’s talent is the most needed and easily distracted away. 

Strong words, sure, but if your business relies on the expertise of the people within, you will need to do a great  job of keeping that talent on board.  There are a number of triggers that can keep your talent with you.  You will need to assess and analyze what your talent is looking for in a long-term relationship with you.  This can be predicated by the generational make up of your team too.  The best way to do determine how to keep your talent is to ask them. 

There have been a great number of books, articles and blogs written on keeping talent by the generation.  Have a look at “Bridging the Generation Gap” by Linda Gravett & Robin Throckmorton – there is a lot to learn, in an easy read.

Get Your Walking Shoes On

Leaders are always in motion. Whether physically or in their minds, movement is happening. As a leader, you need to get your walking shoes on and visit everyone who is on your team – and daily. Get to know them. Get to know what they like, what makes them happy. Find out what makes them crazy. Ask them about their ideas on how to improve the business. Discuss what customers are saying to them that can make the business better.


With walking shoes, a leader can really make a difference in the morale of their team, the productivity of the organization and even the creativity of their ideas. With walking shoes, the presence of the leader is know and felt – relationships and trust can grow in the path of those shoes.