If you have ever managed people or been managed in a corporate environment, you've likely run into the Exit Survey or Exit Interview. This is an interesting tradition, an effort to gather data about the company from (very often) disgruntled employees. If you really want the truth, make sure and ask someone who's pissed off, that ought to get you somewhere.In the latest tradition on this blog, here's a comic strip copy, this time from Close to Home that I grabbed a number of months ago. Ah, yes the exit interview. I have certainly felt like this guy in my life and my answers to the questions on an exit survey were likely tainted just a tad. "Oh, fine, now you ask me about how I freakin' feel." And let the games begin.
Of course I would like to know how this information is used, but I'm guessing it isn't. Yet another check-the-box formality so that just in case anyone asks, we love our people and want to make them happy - just before they die. Just think about how you'd really like to answer the question. "What did you least like about your work experience?" Write it all down, then use what you want when or if the time comes. Of course, if you ever want to work for them again (because you're desperate beyond anything you ever imagined) you might have to bite your tongue, lip and/or pen.
I'm sure that this process is effective and well worth the time and effort spent. Responses are likely filed in the deep dark 18th file cabinet from the front of the human resources office. It's where all personnel files go to die. So, long live the exit interview, may we all reap the benefits and be better for it. Just remember, they're from corporate and they're here to help.
1 comment:
I love this! There is a close relative of the Exit Interview. It's when you buy a product, something goes horribly wrong, and they send you a "Please Rate Your Experience" form. In my case, they've now sent it about 10 times. I'm not shy. I bought PeachTree accounting software from Sage knowing it might not interface with our old QuickBooks or that it might not serve our needs. So, I asked numerous times whether I could return it for a full refund. They said that was no problem. Well, trying to avoid using my overtaxed credit card and pay a lower interest rate, I "did the right thing" and financed it through a company they work with (Key Finance). As I suspected, the software didn't work with our database. Long story short, returning it was a nightmare because both Key and PeachTree couldn't find my customer number (that's two separate numbers) in their separate databases, so they said to hang onto it until they got their act together and sent me a bill. I waited a month, but not wanting to be holding a piece of aging merchandise, I sent it back (to the right address). They finally found it, but Sage didn't bother to refund the money to Key Finance, and a year later after many phone calls to them, they have this collection agency on my ass to collect "my payments" on the $3,000.00 software that they DID get back in a timely manner. I said long story short. After close to $1,000.00 I had to pay to a lawyer, Sage finally paid Key back for the software. But they didn't pay the INTEREST I had accumulated on the balance they hadn't paid during that year. Back to the lawyer. I still don't know who will end up paying for the interest, but like clockwork, I got another "How do you rate our service?" e-mail. Let us know how we can serve you better. Please!
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