Employer Exit Interview.

[JustinH]

Long story short.

I was passed over for a promotion by a newer, far less experienced employee.

The employee who go the job over me has no certifications in field, no formal education, and is rude to clients, co workers, and customers.

However he is one to kiss up to management, and try to impress them at every turn.

It turned out to be the greatest thing for myself and my wife.

She found her dream job about an hour away from San Antonio, and I found an even better job (no offer yet, but hope today is the day).

She got about a 25 percent raise, and I am negotiating a 40 percent raise.

Anyways, at the original employer I have an exit interview coming up. A former colleague is a good friend of mine, he told me that he politely declined the whole process. He went to a big name tech company and doubled his salary.

My wife said that I should reveal the true problems within the organization in the exit interview.

The organization has had a ton of turnover due to low pay, too much work, and frankly working with rude co workers.

I have loyalty to my direct supervisor, he taught me a ton about IT, and I would not have gotten the kind of experience elsewhere.

I am leaning on the side of declining the exit interview entirely, or just saying safe and canned answers not revealing anything.

I don't burn any bridges with anybody, and why would I want to give HR feedback that can only hurt my future reference.

What would you do.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Go out the door and don't look back if they have a brain they know why you're leaving. If they don't why would you waste your time on them?

 

[glock19]

Personally, I would decline the exit interview. You have absolutely nothing to gain from it, it's for the benefit of the company and only has the potential to hurt you in future employment opportunities. It may sound harsh, but you don't owe this company anything. Look out for yourself and your family.

 

[Zee09]

Originally Posted By: glock19
Personally, I would decline the exit interview. You have absolutely nothing to gain from it, it's for the benefit of the company and only has the potential to hurt you in future employment opportunities. It may sound harsh, but you don't owe this company anything. Look out for yourself and your family.


Agreed- move on with a smug smile on your face. Good luck!

 

[pandus13]

HR is there to take care of the company/organization. Even if you tell them, they would not change a thing.
They are unable to recognize problems and an employees market....

I'm going to guess between the lines your supervisor already knows why you are leaving.

So please look forward, not backward.

Decline the exit interview. They had their chance already.

 

[Mr Nice]

Be nice and polite.

Don't light a match if new job offer is not 'in the bank' and guaranteed. I've seen people burn bridges and new job offer fell through...

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: glock19
Personally, I would decline the exit interview. You have absolutely nothing to gain from it, it's for the benefit of the company and only has the potential to hurt you in future employment opportunities. It may sound harsh, but you don't owe this company anything. Look out for yourself and your family.

This.

Unless they pay you a suitably generous consulting fee for your time, of course.

 

[beanoil]

Accept the interview, speak politely about the good things about the company, and that you are leaving because of an opportunity and positive change for the family unit. Then don't look back.
It does zero good to throw anyone under the bus post scriptum. Once you aren't around to do what the slacker couldn't they will figure it out, or at least any semi-professional company will.

 

[Tom NJ]

The purpose of an exit interview is for a company to learn of any problems they may have so they can address them. A good company actually wants to hear what you have to say. Just be honest, address those factors that led to your leaving, and don't hang it on another individual. It's fine to discuss general company moral, high workloads, non-competitive pay, and even compliment your boss, but leave the offending employee's promotion over you out of it or you risk being written off as sour grapes.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
I don't burn any bridges with anybody, and why would I want to give HR feedback that can only hurt my future reference.


This is true, but if you are buds with your supervisor, then you can always use him as a reference. You can give them canned answers, or be really vague and say things like "I'm not sure this company and I are headed in the same direction and I have to stay focused on goals I have set" To show that your are dissatisfied but nothing that can be taken as a criticism or slight. Or tell them you are following your wife, no one is going to question that.

You should do the interview, but do not let them put words in your mouth or extract information that you would not give them willingly.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
What would you do.

Probably something stupid, involving American multinationals with corporate lawyers, non-disclosure contracts and industrial tribunals.

Avoid gestures. Just slip out the back, Jack

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Be nice and polite.

Don't light a match if new job offer is not 'in the bank' and guaranteed. I've seen people burn bridges and new job offer fell through...

This sounds disastrous. Neither one of them have worked a day at their new job, yet it sounds like they have both already resigned.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
The purpose of an exit interview is for a company to learn of any problems they may have so they can address them. A good company actually wants to hear what you have to say. Just be honest, address those factors that led to your leaving, and don't hang it on another individual. It's fine to discuss general company moral, high workloads, non-competitive pay, and even compliment your boss, but leave the offending employee's promotion over you out of it or you risk being written off as sour grapes.


Most people cannot take honest criticism. They are just going to think you got passed over and are dissapointed, and are making up excuses or projecting.

Honest criticism is a personal attack in the age of participation trophies. Younger generations never learned how to win by losing, and old people have trouble taking criticism from people who are younger than them. They will probably push you in a direction so you will tell them what they want to hear anyway.

 

[Kira]

Definitely and totally keep your mouth shut.
Employers live in a community separate from ours.

EX: A pal was DWIed back in the 1970's. The next week his boss said, "I was playing golf with the police chief and he said you had a little trouble on Saturday......."

It's not that they won't help you in the future. It's that they'll hurt you any way they can. Even if they don't do anything right off, any comments you make will be reviewed. Give them nothing but bunny rabbits and flowers IF anything at all.

Best of luck with your new endeavors-both of you.

ps How is it possible that wholesale rudeness can work?

I worked on crews where childish swearing and expelling gas loudly was part of a "tough guy act". Yes it was lame and got old real fast but we ALWAYS communicated clearly and accurately. Who are these slobs you work with?

 

[mrsilv04]

I would show up at the exit interview, and state exactly what you've already told us:

"The employee who go the job over me has no certifications in field, no formal education, and is rude to clients, co workers, and customers."

and then politely excuse myself, and leave.

There's nothing more to say than that.

 

[pbm]

After reading all the other replies....I agree with those who say to "respectfully decline the interview"....there's nothing in it for you but it could hurt you in the future. I totally disagree with those who are telling you to be dishonest by pretending all was good....

 

[opus1]

Take the interview and play nice. Say you found a better opportunity, say that you're moving to support the wife's job change, etc. Never burn bridges because, like me, you may need to come back 20 years later and use that bridge.

And companies don't really care what employees think. We're now a "resource" to be managed for maximum profit, not a valuable asset to the company. As you experienced, there are plenty of youngsters out there that they'd rather hire, for less money, and never mind the fact that you've forgotten more things than the kids know.

Yes, I am jaded. And counting the days to retirement...

 

[BrocLuno]

Just move on. Be polite, but move your mind and body to the future ...

 

[JTK]

If you liked the place and most of the people in it, I'd mitigate any chance of bridge burning by attending the exit interview.

If there's a possibility you could be working with or for people in that organization in the future, I'd do the exit interview. I've been through them before and each one of them hated to see me go and claimed they'd bring me back in a heart-beat should the situation arise.

Perhaps times have changed though. It's been over 21yrs since my last exit interview.

 

[andyd]

Take the exit interview. Don't say a thing about your ex-workers. Just say you are moving due to family considerations. Bridges are best left unburned.
Employees are overhead Never seemed to be that way. Employees were producers of the product you were selling. The beatings will continue until morale improves was the atmosphere at my last job. Funny, my first career end was the shipyard closing. Rough, dirty, dangerous work. Due to semi- decent union /mgt relations, we were given over a months notice. and all sorts of stuff. Very civilized. The bosses were summarily dismissed. I saw one guy go numb when it happened to him. !5 yrs later it happened to me. It was a real jolt to my head. No amount of severance package can fix that jolt.