Recruitment

All exit interviews at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Children’s Hospital) are conducted by telephone. “It’s less threatening,” explained Ronald McKinley, vice president of HR at the Cincinnati hospital.

Nancy Glube, executive director, HR-HQ at AT&T Mobility (AT&T) in Atlanta, believes it’s a mixed bag. For example, interviewers can read nonverbal gestures with the in-person approach. But phone interviews offer less confrontation, while in online interviews, questions will always be cast in the same way. “Expedience in obtaining the information may dictate the best method for a particular company,” she observed.

Who should conduct the exit interview?

“We don’t want anybody from the same department doing it,” remarked Bennett at ABS, adding that HR usually conducts them. “We think we can be more partial. If they want to unload, we make it clear that we’re using this to improve the situation, or not to go after anybody or make it worse.”

“To do an exit interview properly, it needs to be done by a third party,” McKinley said, explaining that the hospital hires an outsourcing firm that specializes in exit interviews. “People are much more [candid] telling you how they really feel about their employment experience, what the next stage of life is going to be for them, and what they’re likely to do going forward.”

Objective sources, which aren’t always external firms, are the best choice, said Glube at AT&T. “Outsiders don’t have the experience of being inside the company and may lack context or information to interpret the responses,” she explained.

What questions will give you the information you’re seeking?

There are plenty. Here’s a list to help get you started:

• Why are you leaving? Surprisingly, employees sometimes reveal that no one—not even their boss—ask them that question. Although it’s usually too late by then, exit interviews give you one last chance to retain the worker. Bennett at ABS recalled how one employee was resigning because of a personal crisis. When the exit interviewer discovered why, special accommodations were made to salvage the relationship. The worker ended up staying since he was allowed to take a few days off each week for a short period of time.
• How could we have improved your position or work environment? This is an opportunity to fix internal problems that can prevent others from resigning, said Bennett.
• Would you be able to work for us in some capacity down the road? What would be the conditions? Then ask for permission to share their information with HR, advised McKinley at Children’s Hospital. Also ask if there are positions in other departments that would interest them. He remembered this question was posed to the resigning chairman of the pediatrics department. He identified a position that no one ever thought of—jump starting a new department called “individual predictive medicine.”
• Describe your ideal job and work environment. McKinley noted that exiting employees’ responses can help you identify roles and processes that appeal to experienced professionals.
• Is there anything we could be doing differently that would encourage you to stay? For mature employees, offering flexible work schedules usually ranks at the top, says Glube at AT&T.
• How can we attract people in your age group or build a more age-diverse culture? They may offer unusual recruitment strategies, such as partnering with retailers to offer seminars at their stores to help mature workers update their resumes and interviewing skills.
• What were some of the good experiences you’ve had here? You may be able to incorporate their responses into marketing materials, said Glube. For example, she pointed to positive relationships employees may have enjoyed with their manager or peers, successful mentoring experiences, or reasons why the organization’s culture is a good match for mature professionals.
• Was the job what it was supposed to be? Many times, Glube said, jobs don’t reflect their description. Use departing employees’ responses to create an accurate picture of the job’s responsibilities, then identify and promote the tasks that appeal to mature workers.

It’s also helpful to establish quantitative measures, counseled Glube. During exit interviews, ask employees to rate various aspects of their jobs, employer, and workplace on a one-to-five scale, such as the importance of flex time or how satisfied they have been with their job. The data you gather can be a powerful prompt for internal change and recruitment, since it’s based on numbers.

There’s really no better way to recruit professional talent than by applying information obtained through exit interviews. Employees’ perceptions offer valuable insights into how you can better position your company as an employer of choice for mature workers.

Resources

Highlights of Winning Strategies: AARP’s Best Employers Program Honorees

AARP Profit from Experience: Perspectives of Employers, Workers and Policymakers in the G7 Countries on the New Demographic Realities

AARP Age Equity in Employment Checklist for Employers

An online checklist to help employers assess their company’s policies and practices to attract and keep valuable employees, including older workers. Topics include recruitment, policy development, training, and job redesign.