Exit Interviews

Flying to SNA yesterday, I picked this up from Inc. Magazine. I think these questions are not only valuable in the for-profit sectors but also in the non-profit / ministry sectors as they help us get wiser and better at what we do.

Exit interviews provide insights you can use to keep others from leaving. Here’s what every manager should ask:

• If the CEO left unexpectedly today and you were put in charge, what are the first things you would change?
• What could have changed six months ago that would have prevented you from .looking for a new job?
• If you weren’t looking, what factors tipped the scale when an opportunity came up?
• Who do you think is next to resign and why?
• If one person leaving the fir would cause you to think twice about leaving, who would that person be?
• Why didn’t you leave us sooner than now?
• How did your manager communicate your responsibilities? Do you think he or she was fair and reasonable?
• Describe any areas of conflict that have affected either your performance or morale, or that you believe affected other employees.

Inc Magazine, April 2006, p. 42