The 'How can we continue to work pleasantly with each other' conversation

It is something that is often put off until the end of the day and which often leaves a strange aftertaste anyway. We're talking about the exit interview. Annoying for one or both parties: the employer loses a valuable employee, the employee may lose a permanent job, or there has been disagreement between the two parties that led to the departure. But really, the exit interview misses its point: after all, it is already too late for this employee, he or she is already leaving and there is nothing you can do about it. So advance this moment and turn the useless exit interview into the useful "How can we continue to work pleasantly with each other" interview!

Make time while you still can

Of course, this is a little too long a name for the conversation. But it is all encompassing. Employer and employee hope to work together pleasantly and sustainably for a long(er) period of time. When an employee leaves the organization, surely something has gone wrong in that cooperation. This need not be an immediate difference of opinion or labor conflict, but still something is missing for one of the two parties. With an exit interview there is no time left to find out what actually caused the departure.

The decision to say goodbye to an employee or to leave an organization does not happen overnight. That is why it is important as an employer or manager to intervene in time. Not out of fear, but out of genuine interest in the employee. "What do you miss in our organization?", "What would be a reason for you to leave the organization?" or "Is there something you yourself would rather see different?". Questions that, if answered honestly, are invaluable to an organization.

Honest answer

If so, it is important that you as an employer or manager also hear the honest answer. For this, a positive organizational culture is very important. In this culture, an employee also dares to give honest and open feedback and there is genuine interest in each other. In this way, an employee is not "punished" for what he or she says, but the organization sees it as feedback that it should do something with. After a while, the 'How can we continue to work pleasantly with each other' conversation will go hand in hand with the open organizational culture, and employees will also easily come to you when they are troubled by something.

Communication is key

Even in a positive organizational culture, you spend a lot of time talking to employees, both in positive and less positive ways. Our OffCourse label is happy to help you improve your communication techniques so that you can get the most out of these conversations. Would you like to know more about this? Take a look at the website and request a no-obligation quote.