by Paul M. Connolly
We recently received this question: On your web site you state that it is best to do an exit interview survey with a former employee two to three months after the employee has left the company. Do you have any research confirming that the results of a delayed exit survey are more valuable than survey results from a leaving employee on or around their last day?
Our reply: This statement is based on analysis of broker turnover among Securities Industry Association members over an eight-year period.
Like so much of our work in applied industrial psych, it never made it into a published journal. However, statements people made once they were settled in their new jobs were much more likely to deal with delicate interpersonal situations (e.g. problems with manager) that would have been more difficult to talk about at the time of termination.
So often, once someone decides to look, they say they are going for more money. They tend to cite this as a nonconfrontational excuse when asked at the time of departure. However, in the study discussed above, the people gave much more honest and meaningful answers when they were asked several weeks later.
We have reproduced this many times over the years with other clients. However, the time span for when to ask changes depending on the job.In general, the time spans have been shrinking. It is probably more in the three-to-five week range now, rather than the 8 week range that was the "sweet spot" in those earlier studies.
If you ask on day of departure, unless the exit interviewer is VERY skilled, you typically get non-emotional reasons. If you ask by e-mail too soon, you will get much of the same. But if you wait too long, people no longer feel obligated to respond. So the work is finding the right time window and invitation method (mail, email or phone).
