Exit Interview - Tell all or Keep quiet?

Sottol

So I have my exit interview coming up and I know the general unspoken rule is to be polite and not diss the company/department. That was my plan.

Now I’m thinking perhaps I should tell the truth about why I’m leaving - so maybe they can review the department and so my replacement will have a better chance of sticking it out.

My reasons for leaving were twofold - I explained one of them to my manager when handing in my notice. The work is boring, monotonous, I’m not challenged and feel like I could be doing a lot more.

However it is quite handy to come in, get paid well for sitting here, not getting stressed not having a huge workload and generally just cruising along.

I have done this for a while but the other 3 people in my department is why i decided enough was enough. They totally take the piss non stop. In at 9, down to the kitchen to sit down for coffee and chats till 9.45. Then at 12 it’s out for a 10k run, come back shower and then to the kitchen to sit down for lunch. This takes just over 2 hours. Come 4.55 it’s zipping up their bags and off home with them. We are meant to have 30 mins for lunch!!!
The most ironic thing is that they always say they are busy and don’t have time to do stuff. My manager then takes this work on and some of it is passed to me.

I know I should have said something before now but I complained about a co-worker (who has since left) for being rude and insulting to me about 6 months ago and I didn’t want to be “that person” who complained about everyone.

Sorry for the length of this - basically should I say nothing or give some insight into what’s going on?!

dashoonage

keep quite. tis hard to cross burnt bridges.

jon1981

Keep shut. It would be easy to turn this back on you being the problem based on the snippet of information you're telling us.

Keep quiet, companies don’t want to change their ways.

I left my last job because a manager was bullying me. She was also bullying several other people. I thought about speaking up but to be honest, the CEO already knew that everyone hated her.

In the end, we all left and she is still there, probably forcing others out.

No longer my concern though.

OP just Shut up!

AH Language above I know...

Now, a long time ago in a Galaxy far far away, I worked in call centre land (apparently the more pc term nowadays is contact centre)
Thought my supervisor was pretty decent skin for most of my time there until he accused me of saying "FVCK OFF" to a caller..
Met the same supervisor few years later at a Christmas party (was now working in a callcentre that had taken over that computer makers function)
Still the same snarky pri<k.

Sottol

Thanks will be keeping quiet and smiling through it so!

Harry Palmr

Write them a long detailed email to the most relevant person after you've got another job.

KildareP

Say nout.

If these guys were taking the p*** as you say and the company was genuinely interested in quelling it, then it would have been stamped out long before now, without you having had to do anything never mind quitting over it. They're not going to suddenly kick into action now based on the feedback of a departing employee.

More often than not it will just be used against you as justification that it was probably best you left anyway as you weren't a fit.

skallywag

I see nothing wrong with mentioning that you did not find the work challenging enough etc, this is very often a genuine reason for wanting to move on, and is fair comment.

I would hold back on any comments about your co-workers performance, or lack there of. Sure, you may have been landed with extra work because of their carry on, but the exit interview is not the place to raise this, it should have been done beforehand.

angel eyes 2012

Sottol wrote: »

Thanks will be keeping quiet and smiling through it so!

I feel your pain OP, I've worked in an environment like that but I would follow the other posters advice too. Unfortunately, it sounds like they won't change their ways no matter what constructive feedback you provide. Just let on everything was grand.

On a related matter, a former colleague of mine told an employer precisely what she thought of them in her exit interview. This was around 2006/2007. Same colleague went crawling back to the organisation reluctantly during the recession, around 2010. She was desperate for any kind of job and was not successful, despite being an excellent worker during her time spent in the organisation. The motto “don’t ever burn your bridges”, still very much applies. You never know when you will need them again.

SirChenjin

skallywag wrote: »

I see nothing wrong with mentioning that you did not find the work challenging enough etc, this is very often a genuine reason for wanting to move on, and is fair comment.

I would hold back on any comments about your co-workers performance, or lack their of. Sure, you may have been landed with extra work because of their carry on, but the exit interview is not the place to raise this, it should have been done beforehand.

Agree re mentioning that the work wasn't challenging, if you wish. Nothing wrong with saying that.

The rest - well, that's no longer an issue for you and it's up to the manager/ company to sort out.

Jim2007

Sottol wrote: »

I have done this for a while but the other 3 people in my department is why i decided enough was enough. They totally take the piss non stop. In at 9, down to the kitchen to sit down for coffee and chats till 9.45. Then at 12 it’s out for a 10k run, come back shower and then to the kitchen to sit down for lunch. This takes just over 2 hours. Come 4.55 it’s zipping up their bags and off home with them. We are meant to have 30 mins for lunch!!!
The most ironic thing is that they always say they are busy and don’t have time to do stuff. My manager then takes this work on and some of it is passed to me.

It is entirely up to the manager how he runs his department. You will not be thanked for this feedback and if anyone ever contacts him for a comment on you, don't expect it to go well.

BronsonTB

Keep quiet, companies won't want to change their ways based on just what you say. This is just a procedural tick box exercise that has to be done.

You have made the decision to leave, forget about them & look forward not behind you....

No point burning that bridge just in case you ever do need to communicate with that company in the future...

Good luck with the new job....

Sottol

Jim2007 wrote: »

It is entirely up to the manager how he runs his department. You will not be thanked for this feedback and if anyone ever contacts him for a comment on you, don't expect it to go well.

Of course, the thing is our manager sits in the states. He has no idea what is going on here - there is one senior VP downstairs we are not under his department so he is never on our floor.
Therefore management/the company don’t know this is happening! I guess it’s assumed that a few 40-50 year old men have the professionalism to get on with stuff without direct oversight.

Anyway I understand the responses and will be very complimentary in the exit interview.

Keyzer

Keep your mouth shut.

Strumms

Frustrating but seeing as you have already tried to give feedback which fell on deaf ears I wouldn’t be bothered getting all detailed and helpful at this juncture. The exit interview is simply a box ticking exercise. If they gave a genuine fûck about resolving issues they would have attempted before now..

Simply don’t get stressed, answer whatever questions they ask with fairly short and to the point answers and the whole tone of the event set on the premise that you are leaving to explore new and better opportunities in your career, you on the whole enjoyed working there it had a few challenges at times, but doesn’t everywhere, thanks and good luck...

Augme

I'd give the honest feedback. If I was owner, or senior manager that's what I would want. There's a reason companies have exit interviews, and this is one of them.

qwerty13

Tell nothing.

You never know who you’ll need a reference from, who you’ll end up working with again, what mergers/takeovers may happen between this company and any future ones you work in. You have zero to gain, and a lot to potentially lose, if you tell all.

OMM 0000

Keep quiet.

You have nothing to gain from "telling all" apart from feeling good you got it off your chest.

The person interviewing you quite likely won't pass on your concerns as people shoot the messenger.

Also management tends to already know what the problems are. They may even think you're a dick for "only saying this now".

Too many downsides.

JeffKenna

I can't see that anything very bad has happened to you to "tell all". Sure, the dept doesn't look like its managed that well but it's not like you've been bullied or something malicious has happened to you.

thoker

Has anyone got any balls? . Safe predictable pc compliant. You want to rat out the slackers, do it. Refs etc., always forward never backwards. Feel better give into the darkside.

Tazz T

Don't say a thing.

This role sound like it was made for me. Where do I apply?

CrankyHaus

I just went with bad fit for the company culture, saying I preferred to have control over parts of my job that in this role were devolved to other desks. It was well known within the company that these other desks were totally incompetent (creating a ton of downstream problems) and in fairness deliberately underesourced and I'd gotten no support when I'd tried to get them to do their jobs properly so I assume HR knew exactly what I meant.

golfball37

You have an obligation to yourself and others to tell the truth imo. Don't personalise it and bring it back to yourself at all times. I felt the work wasn't challenging enough for me, I feel the team dynamic isn't cohesive enough for me etc but I wish you well and thank you for the opportunity etc etc.

Ciaranis

"Whatever you say, say nothing." Thing is, unless you work for a paramilitary organisation, that's a load of nonsense. Go in and tell the truth. You don't have to name names but you can certainly talk about a culture of laziness and unfair distribution of labour.

As for burning your bridges, it seems from what you've said that the chances of you returning to this company are somewhere between slim and eff-all. The only thing you need to consider is whether you need a reference from this shower, and how your exit interview might affect that.

Session2019!

Absolute nonsense to keep quite. Exit interviews are the perfect time to give constructive criticism if you have some. Not go bat crazy but any issues or suggestions for improvement will actually help the company.

Have recently done one i did exactly that, was thanked for my honest opinions and gave them some good ideas to improve the department. They have said the door was always open should i want to return and possibly will in the future. That being said i did enjoy my time there overall but plenty of times i wanted to quit earlier.

AllForIt

It doesn't sound to me OP that you are actually leaving because of your co-workers so don't say that you are as it might make you look spiteful. They would ask you why you didn't mention it before. If you really wanted to stay in the job you would have. That's not to say you shouldn't mention it all, do so if you genuinely wish to assist your employer.

Sottol

AllForIt wrote: »

It doesn't sound to me OP that you are actually leaving because of your co-workers so don't say that you are as it might make you look spiteful. They would ask you why you didn't mention it before. If you really wanted to stay in the job you would have. That's not to say you shouldn't mention it all, do so if you genuinely wish to assist your employer.

As I said it would be quite easy to stay here, plod along with easy hours and get well paid. The decision was made due to their behavior, it just annoys me so much. I’m not the type of person who can ignore it, believe me I wish I was!!

Sottol

Tazz T wrote: »

Don't say a thing.

This role sound like it was made for me. Where do I apply?

Ha, it’s being advertised externally later this week! We could split the referral fee!

whomitconcerns

Tell them. Don't name names as that is of no benefit to you or in actuality to the company (HR would have to make an issue of it if names used) if you keep it general they can look at the situation and deal with it. Why should other people's jobs be at risk by a company bout dealing with problems at grass roots level.

Saint_Mel

I find its best to treat exit interviews a lot like posting a rant reply on Boards ..... you can spend ages crafting the perfect reply but when push comes to shove you end up deleting instead of posting cos going through with it is not really going to benefit you in any way

AllForIt

Sottol wrote: »

As I said it would be quite easy to stay here, plod along with easy hours and get well paid. The decision was made due to their behavior, it just annoys me so much. I’m not the type of person who can ignore it, believe me I wish I was!!

My reasons for leaving were twofold - I explained one of them to my manager when handing in my notice. The work is boring, monotonous, I’m not challenged and feel like I could be doing a lot more.

Okay but you said the work is boring and monotonous. That's a good reason to leave a job. Not a good reason to leave a job is leaving before tackling an issue with your co-workers. If it's a nice cushy number in that case I'd screw your co-workers over like secretly recording them etc. Why would you let your co-workers get the better of you. I wouldn't.

Strumms

Session2019! wrote: »

Absolute nonsense to keep quite. Exit interviews are the perfect time to give constructive criticism if you have some. Not go bat crazy but any issues or suggestions for improvement will actually help the company.

Have recently done one i did exactly that, was thanked for my honest opinions and gave them some good ideas to improve the department. They have said the door was always open should i want to return and possibly will in the future. That being said i did enjoy my time there overall but plenty of times i wanted to quit earlier.

Why should the poster give a flying fûck about helping the company ? They have tried to be constructive by giving feedback that would have helped the company and they were ignored...it has taken a resignation to get their attention but that’s too late.... but again maybe not the case more a box ticking job..

skallywag

Strumms wrote: »

They have tried to be constructive by giving feedback that would have helped the company and they were ignored

Where are you getting that from? The OP only gave feedback at the point of handing in notice?

TimeToShine

I would never give an exit interview like the OP describes in Ireland - too small of a country and we are way too snarky, always looking for the next scandal and the likelihood of crossing paths with a former colleague is nearly a certainty if you stay in the same industry.

Abroad the procedure is a lot more private and less likely to bite you in the arse down the line.

ByTheSea2019

I would be very polite. I wouldn't even say boring. The reason is that you mention some positives, you find the job easy. You never know when your circumstances could change so that you might be grateful for an easy job in the future and the current manager and team you describe could be long gone five years from now.

I can sympathise with having made a complaint about one person and not wanting to make any more even though you have reason to, and funnily enough, also the situation of watching others disappear for hours. These both happened to me in the same job, but I feel that the organization might have the right job for me in the future in a totally different department and so I kept it as nice as possible when I left.

BrokenArrows

It completely depends on whether you want to have this job as a backup plan if your new job doesnt work out.

Ill be leaving my job after 12 years next week and id love nothing more than to go on a bit of a rant to HR about the current problems, but I always want to have this position to come back to. Its a very well paid position that i know ill be able to walk back into pretty much any time in the next few years.

In my opinion its always good to have a safety net. Ill be giving some generic responses in my exit interview.

skallywag

I see nothing wrong at all with giving open and honest feedback at an exit interview, as long as it is consistent with what you may have said during yearly appraisals or other such discussions with your manager, etc. It is not something that I would hold against any team member, in fact it would be a feather in their cap in most cases.

What would raise my eyebrow is suddenly being informed of this that or the other for the first time at the exit interview, whereas nothing was mentioned for years at any other time.

beauf

skallywag wrote: »

...
What would raise my eyebrow is suddenly being informed of this that or the other for the first time at the exit interview, whereas nothing was mentioned for years at any other time.

I don't disagree but at the same time seems to be common trait these days for people not to listen, then say they were never told about something.

LegacyUser

The only time i ever had an exit interview was when i worked in a call centre - it was a pretty small company and my manager had made pretty heinous sexual innuendos towards a colleague on a night out a few days previously. I brought it up in my interview. It turns out the Christmas party before that she had made advances towards the MD. They were looking for another reason to sack her. She was gone a couple of months after I left.

I was in the same boat a few years ago, but instead I politely refused to do an exit interview. They can't force you to

skallywag

Deleted User wrote: »

I was in the same boat a few years ago, but instead I politely refused to do an exit interview. They can't force you to

That's completely correct, but you are of course better off doing it if you ever fancy your chances of coming back again someday. Never say never, sometimes things get turned on their head!

skallywag

skallywag wrote: »

That's completely correct, but you are of course better off doing it if you ever fancy your chances of coming back again someday. Never say never, sometimes things get turned on their head!

Given the reasons the OP listed for leaving I doubt He/she would want to return.

skallywag

Deleted User wrote: »

Given the reasons the OP listed for leaving I doubt He/she would want to return.

The work is not challenging and the other team members do not have the same sense of ownership as the OP. The OP is bored and wants something better, which I can certainly understand.

That said, it is certainly a far cry from, say, working with a bunch of assholes where coming into work each day is a real nightmare.

I would burn no bridges. The OP may well fancy a chance to return if other roads turn south.

beauf

skallywag wrote: »

That's completely correct, but you are of course better off doing it if you ever fancy your chances of coming back again someday. Never say never, sometimes things get turned on their head!

If a company rates a mickey mouse exit interview over a person's skill set and experience enough to rule out rehiring them. That's one messed up place to work.

If a company doesn't listen and people leave because of that it's very unlikely they'll listen to exit interviews.

beauf

It reminds me of a team leader who never listens to anyone contributions or feedback so when people stop contributing the team leader complains no one contributes. But then won't listen to the reason why. Leopard can't change its spots etc.

mumo3

Say nothing its no longer your issue, I once got let go from a company for not being up to the task!! the job I could do in my sleep just the manager refused to let me complete the simplest task and made a big deal out of any little job I did do, to the point other members of staff where saying how uncomfortable they felt being witness to the managers attitude to me, said manger sat in my meeting with the director listing off all the tasks I failed to carry out, I could have easily fought my corner and listed of the ways said manager stopped me from completing them but the director wouldn't have cared the manager was there long before me, so just smiled, wished them the best, cleared my desk and left and the sense of relieve I felt knowing I didn't have to deal with that ****e was unreal.... rant over 😂

NewMan1982

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

Strumms

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

The manager if he was bothered doing his job would know, he wouldn’t need to ask or be told.

I had a manager in my old job and about once every three or four weeks without announcing it he’d spend the whole shift working as a ‘line employee’ and the team leader would be acting manager... a few people initially were apprehensive but I saw from the get go the value of this action.. it worked out brilliantly, instead of just listening to us ‘complaining’ about challenging elements of the job he was experiencing first hand and therefore could formulate changes in how we worked as well as well as asking for better resources that would enable us to deliver better results....

beauf

He didn't learn to listen though....

beauf

NewMan1982 wrote: »

Why is everyone saying to say nothing? That’s the very reason the country is the way it is.

You have a new job so tell the truth. I’m sure sny decent manager would be delighted to know his staff are taking the piss like that.

It's because they don't want to know. Every whistleblower gets destroyed. Same in companies. They always shoot the messenger.