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Purpose:
The goal of conducting exit interviews is to receive feedback from exiting employees on County and department operations in order to learn about problems and areas of satisfaction.
Scope:
This program applies to exiting regular status employees.
Background:
Approximately 6% to 13% of our regular status employees leave County service each year. There are instances when turnover creates change for the County. Turnover may bring in new ideas and perspectives that revitalize the department. However, there is also unwanted turnover when valued employees leave the County. Replacing employees can be time consuming and expensive. Associated with turnover is the cost of lost productivity, recruitment, training, and administration of the transition. The use of an exit interview program can help minimize turnover, improve hiring efforts and correct unsatisfactory work conditions, thereby improving employment relationships with the remaining work force. This program is designed to provide an exchange of information which will benefit the entire County.
Policy Statement:
The Department of Employee Services (DES) is responsible for coordinating the Exit Interview Program in cooperation with all the departments. Comments from employees are confidential.
Procedures
The success of this program rests largely on the support of supervisors. When an employee decides to leave County service, it is important that DES is immediately notified. When DES receives notice that an employee is leaving, the employee will be mailed an exit interview form and invitation to participate in the program. The employee may choose to fill out the form or arrange a conversation with the Diversity Manager. A copy of the form used in the interview is attached. We ask the supervisor or manager to grant the departing employee time to participate in the exit interview prior to his/her departure from the County. The interview is designed to last approximately 30 minutes. Information obtained during the exit interview will be compiled in an annual report.
An exit report will be distributed to each department director. The report will include a compilation of general County exit information and a general summary of comment trends that are applicable to the County as a whole. The County Administrator, BCC, and Director of Employee Services will receive a complete summary of comments with no names attached. When five (5) or more employees from a department have participated in the exit program during the annual period, then the director of the department will receive the summary of comments for that department. This protects the confidentiality of exiting employees. DES also reviews this information to see if there are ways we can modify County practices to improve employment conditions on a County-wide basis.
The exit interview is not designed to replace any existing departmental exit interviews focusing on the recovery of County property, balancing of expense accounts or benefit status.
It is only with supervisor or manager cooperation and exiting employee participation that the Exit Interview Program will be effective. The County requests and appreciates information about our areas of strength and areas needing improvement. With this information the County has better data to implement changes, address areas requiring improvement, and continue things that work well for employees.
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