I might be raising a stir by mentioning this but it is time we wake up and face reality. While exit interviews are a good way to learn why employees leave, what if you conducted them well in advance so as to pre-empt the decision of leaving?
How on earth do you find out if the employee is on the verge of quitting? That’s where taking employees seriously and conducting mock exit interviews during 1:1s work.
I recommend this for every HR and Communications function. We are so caught up in the running of the business that we do not critically ask for feedback and thereby risk losing valuable professionals by our indifference.
Ask the questions you would if the employee was leaving. Do you want to work in another domain? Are you sufficiently challenged in your work? Do you want to work part-time? Are you getting the training and support you need? What else would you like to do outside of work?
It does not hurt to ask the questions early…but a few weeks later, and you would have a lot more defending to do.
