Exit Interview - Tell all or Keep quiet?

AllForIt

Sottol wrote: »

As I said it would be quite easy to stay here, plod along with easy hours and get well paid. The decision was made due to their behavior, it just annoys me so much. I’m not the type of person who can ignore it, believe me I wish I was!!

My reasons for leaving were twofold - I explained one of them to my manager when handing in my notice. The work is boring, monotonous, I’m not challenged and feel like I could be doing a lot more.

Okay but you said the work is boring and monotonous. That's a good reason to leave a job. Not a good reason to leave a job is leaving before tackling an issue with your co-workers. If it's a nice cushy number in that case I'd screw your co-workers over like secretly recording them etc. Why would you let your co-workers get the better of you. I wouldn't.

Strumms

Session2019! wrote: »

Absolute nonsense to keep quite. Exit interviews are the perfect time to give constructive criticism if you have some. Not go bat crazy but any issues or suggestions for improvement will actually help the company.

Have recently done one i did exactly that, was thanked for my honest opinions and gave them some good ideas to improve the department. They have said the door was always open should i want to return and possibly will in the future. That being said i did enjoy my time there overall but plenty of times i wanted to quit earlier.

Why should the poster give a flying fûck about helping the company ? They have tried to be constructive by giving feedback that would have helped the company and they were ignored...it has taken a resignation to get their attention but that’s too late.... but again maybe not the case more a box ticking job..

skallywag

Strumms wrote: »

They have tried to be constructive by giving feedback that would have helped the company and they were ignored

Where are you getting that from? The OP only gave feedback at the point of handing in notice?

TimeToShine

I would never give an exit interview like the OP describes in Ireland - too small of a country and we are way too snarky, always looking for the next scandal and the likelihood of crossing paths with a former colleague is nearly a certainty if you stay in the same industry.

Abroad the procedure is a lot more private and less likely to bite you in the arse down the line.

ByTheSea2019

I would be very polite. I wouldn't even say boring. The reason is that you mention some positives, you find the job easy. You never know when your circumstances could change so that you might be grateful for an easy job in the future and the current manager and team you describe could be long gone five years from now.

I can sympathise with having made a complaint about one person and not wanting to make any more even though you have reason to, and funnily enough, also the situation of watching others disappear for hours. These both happened to me in the same job, but I feel that the organization might have the right job for me in the future in a totally different department and so I kept it as nice as possible when I left.

BrokenArrows

It completely depends on whether you want to have this job as a backup plan if your new job doesnt work out.

Ill be leaving my job after 12 years next week and id love nothing more than to go on a bit of a rant to HR about the current problems, but I always want to have this position to come back to. Its a very well paid position that i know ill be able to walk back into pretty much any time in the next few years.

In my opinion its always good to have a safety net. Ill be giving some generic responses in my exit interview.

skallywag

I see nothing wrong at all with giving open and honest feedback at an exit interview, as long as it is consistent with what you may have said during yearly appraisals or other such discussions with your manager, etc. It is not something that I would hold against any team member, in fact it would be a feather in their cap in most cases.

What would raise my eyebrow is suddenly being informed of this that or the other for the first time at the exit interview, whereas nothing was mentioned for years at any other time.

beauf

skallywag wrote: »

...
What would raise my eyebrow is suddenly being informed of this that or the other for the first time at the exit interview, whereas nothing was mentioned for years at any other time.

I don't disagree but at the same time seems to be common trait these days for people not to listen, then say they were never told about something.

LegacyUser

The only time i ever had an exit interview was when i worked in a call centre - it was a pretty small company and my manager had made pretty heinous sexual innuendos towards a colleague on a night out a few days previously. I brought it up in my interview. It turns out the Christmas party before that she had made advances towards the MD. They were looking for another reason to sack her. She was gone a couple of months after I left.

I was in the same boat a few years ago, but instead I politely refused to do an exit interview. They can't force you to

skallywag

Deleted User wrote: »

I was in the same boat a few years ago, but instead I politely refused to do an exit interview. They can't force you to

That's completely correct, but you are of course better off doing it if you ever fancy your chances of coming back again someday. Never say never, sometimes things get turned on their head!

skallywag

skallywag wrote: »

That's completely correct, but you are of course better off doing it if you ever fancy your chances of coming back again someday. Never say never, sometimes things get turned on their head!

Given the reasons the OP listed for leaving I doubt He/she would want to return.

skallywag

Deleted User wrote: »

Given the reasons the OP listed for leaving I doubt He/she would want to return.

The work is not challenging and the other team members do not have the same sense of ownership as the OP. The OP is bored and wants something better, which I can certainly understand.

That said, it is certainly a far cry from, say, working with a bunch of assholes where coming into work each day is a real nightmare.

I would burn no bridges. The OP may well fancy a chance to return if other roads turn south.

beauf

skallywag wrote: »

That's completely correct, but you are of course better off doing it if you ever fancy your chances of coming back again someday. Never say never, sometimes things get turned on their head!

If a company rates a mickey mouse exit interview over a person's skill set and experience enough to rule out rehiring them. That's one messed up place to work.

If a company doesn't listen and people leave because of that it's very unlikely they'll listen to exit interviews.

beauf

It reminds me of a team leader who never listens to anyone contributions or feedback so when people stop contributing the team leader complains no one contributes. But then won't listen to the reason why. Leopard can't change its spots etc.

mumo3

Say nothing its no longer your issue, I once got let go from a company for not being up to the task!! the job I could do in my sleep just the manager refused to let me complete the simplest task and made a big deal out of any little job I did do, to the point other members of staff where saying how uncomfortable they felt being witness to the managers attitude to me, said manger sat in my meeting with the director listing off all the tasks I failed to carry out, I could have easily fought my corner and listed of the ways said manager stopped me from completing them but the director wouldn't have cared the manager was there long before me, so just smiled, wished them the best, cleared my desk and left and the sense of relieve I felt knowing I didn't have to deal with that ****e was unreal.... rant over 😂

NewMan1982

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

Strumms

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

The manager if he was bothered doing his job would know, he wouldn’t need to ask or be told.

I had a manager in my old job and about once every three or four weeks without announcing it he’d spend the whole shift working as a ‘line employee’ and the team leader would be acting manager... a few people initially were apprehensive but I saw from the get go the value of this action.. it worked out brilliantly, instead of just listening to us ‘complaining’ about challenging elements of the job he was experiencing first hand and therefore could formulate changes in how we worked as well as well as asking for better resources that would enable us to deliver better results....

beauf

He didn't learn to listen though....

beauf

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

It's because they don't want to know. Every whistleblower gets destroyed. Same in companies. They always shoot the messenger.

NewMan1982

Strumms wrote: »

The manager if he was bothered doing his job would know, he wouldn’t need to ask or be told.

I had a manager in my old job and about once every three or four weeks without announcing it he’d spend the whole shift working as a ‘line employee’ and the team leader would be acting manager... a few people initially were apprehensive but I saw from the get go the value of this action.. it worked out brilliantly, instead of just listening to us ‘complaining’ about challenging elements of the job he was experiencing first hand and therefore could formulate changes in how we worked as well as well as asking for better resources that would enable us to deliver better results....

I think the OP said the manager is off site though. So he wouldn’t see people taking the piss with breaks.

Strumms

NewMan1982 wrote: »

I think the OP said the manager is off site though. So he wouldn’t see people taking the piss with breaks.

That’s all very well and good but he needs quarterly or monthly visits, monthly actually. A manager cannot manage effectively from a distance, I’ve seen a similar scenario in an old job again and it was a disaster. He’d have weekly conference calls with team leader etc. but again in my old job there was all sorts of shîte being spun back to them by the TL. Whatever about a senior manager, a line manager needs to be working locally.

Your Face

Keep quiet - don't potentially ruin it for everyone else.

robo

I'm in 2 minds - I think if there were issues, you should have spoken up before you gave your notice to see if things could change for you. And I also think you should speak up now.
But I have watched a co-worker hand in their notice and the reason for it was they didn't like their manager who worked in another country. But never said anything about the issues - you could say was completely 2 faced to them. Their Manager was adamant if he wanted to come back anytime, just let them know.

They got a "perfect" job elsewhere and then he had his exit interview where he let rip about his manager to HR and the work. The HR dept was also based in another country so the interview was on the phone in a open plan office (all could hear).
So he left the company, and then one month later we hear that he doesn't like the perfect job...asks to come back but at that stage HR had looked at the exit interview & raised it with the Manager...who said no way to a return! And what I gathered about the "perfect" job was - it was a great job except he wasn't trained or able for it, possibly a lot of BS in the interview that the new employer didn't catch.

Morale of the story - you never know when you might be working with the same people again or look to return. Maybe stay quiet just in case.

dreamers75

I find this situation oddly funny with people.

Bitch and moan all day about their job and then leave say nice things in the exit interview. They are either spineless or will bitch and moan about their new job eventually.

I would bet its the latter.

beauf

dreamers75 wrote: »

I find this situation oddly funny with people.

Bitch and moan all day about their job and then leave say nice things in the exit interview. They are either spineless or will bitch and moan about their new job eventually.

I would bet its the latter.

Kinda can't win there.

You aren't happy with good or bad feedback.
If people say nothing you'd complain that no one gives any feedback.

And ironically is that not complaining about someone else complaining?

Sottol

So as an update:

As someone recently pointed out, the manager is off site - actually sits in the states and visits once a year so has no clue of the going on’s.

I work in an industry that is totally a candidates market right now and will be for the foreseeable next 5/10/15 years. When I was looking to leave I actually had 4 offers and found it hard to choose which one to take. So in terms of ever having to go back to that company it would never happen.

Had the exit interview and didn’t say anything. I kind of regret it, perhaps, but I don’t feel it would have changed anything.

Turkish1

dreamers75 wrote: »

I find this situation oddly funny with people.

Bitch and moan all day about their job and then leave say nice things in the exit interview. They are either spineless or will bitch and moan about their new job eventually.

I would bet its the latter.

Shocked seeing everyone saying to keep quiet. There is a way of delivering feedback in an exit interview without leaving a bad taste in the mouth and without burning bridges.

I left my last job approx 9months ago and gave plenty critical feedback (plenty positive also) in the exit interview to HR (primarily shocking worklife balance and some other minor issues). I also raised these face to face with my own manager while handing in notice. Left with a glowing reference and still on great terms with a number of senior managemenr from previous job.

Have some balls and give truthful feedback, things may or may not change but there is no chane they will if everyone leaving the company says thay everything is fantastic

qwerty13

Sottol wrote: »

So as an update:

As someone recently pointed out, the manager is off site - actually sits in the states and visits once a year so has no clue of the going on’s.

I work in an industry that is totally a candidates market right now and will be for the foreseeable next 5/10/15 years. When I was looking to leave I actually had 4 offers and found it hard to choose which one to take. So in terms of ever having to go back to that company it would never happen.

Had the exit interview and didn’t say anything. I kind of regret it, perhaps, but I don’t feel it would have changed anything.

Without disrespect, people at the top of their industries have made very bad calls re how their industry will perform in the future. And you may never go back to that particular company, but you have no idea what mergers/takeovers may happen in the future. Or a senior person who might move from your current company, who might end up working with.

I think you made the right call re saying as little as possible.

Keyzer

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

Wrong.

In most cases, these pointless exit interviews are a check box exercise.
As explained to me in my younger days, HR departments are in place to stop companies from being sued.

Dublin is a small place so giving out yards about your manager or colleagues might come back to haunt you.