Do you conduct exit interviews for all legal staff who resign from your firm? Are you in the habit of getting feedback from employees you are planning to terminate? If your firm conducts exit interviews, is the process viewed as just another administrative procedure and the responses filed away without review?
Exit interviews present a unique opportunity for an organization to gain insight that can be helpful in improving business practices, employee retention, and recruitment. Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity to gain feedback from the departing employee.
Here are tips to help you establish and benefit from an “exit interview” process.
Schedule Exit Interview with All Departing Legal Staff
The most common mistake that many law firms make regarding exit interviews is that they are selective with the categories of departing staff with whom they conduct these interviews. A selective exit interviewing process will not give your law firm an insight into critical areas, practices, and procedures that might need changing. Best practices dictate that you should schedule an exit interview with all departing employees, whether they are resigning or part of a necessary layoff.
Create a Process in Administering Exit Interviews
If you would like to maximize the value of exit interviews in your law firm, it is important to implement a consistent process. This will include:
- A documented procedure to be used by your human resource department or managers.
- A compilation of appropriate questions. Asking the same questions for all exit interviews and utilizing open-ended questions will generate the best results.
- A review process following each exit interview.
Design an exit interview procedure that best suits the needs and resources of your company.
Capture the Right Information
While having a consistent process for exit interviews is good, it will not add value if it does not capture information that will be helpful to your legal workplace. Some areas of critical importance that require feedback in an exit interview includes:
- Compensation
- Training and development
- Workplace culture
A departing legal staff member is more likely to provide honest feedback as there is no apparent repercussion in doing so. Accordingly, exit interviews can be a useful tool in obtaining information that will be useful in your decision-making process associated with planning, organization, and staffing.
Review the Information
Once you complete the exit interview, assess the information and make note of what you are doing right as a firm, as well as where you need to make changes. The point of the interview is to grow as a whole, ensuring a greater retention among staff.
The key to getting the most out of an exit interview is to be consistent, have a plan, and ensure that there is a review process. Whether you are implementing a new exit interview policy or making changes to your current process, once executed correctly, exit interviews can add value to the legal workplace.
At OnBoard Legal, we help legal firms, as well as legal departments in various industries, secure the right staff, thus reducing turnover and the number of “exit interviews.” Contact us today and see the difference our seasoned recruiters, who are experts in the field, can make for your business.
