My Exit Interview Was Not A Pleasant Experience
In my previous post, I hinted that I was none to pleased with my exit interview. Well, here are the details.
At 10 AM, I went to the HR person’s office. It started out innocently enough. We shook hands. I handed him some of their belongings (badge, cell phone, VPN hardware key). I sat down.
Then it started to go downhill quick. He made quick mention that I am leaving at just over a year of being hired (3 days to be exact). He wondered why. I told him it was for mainly personal reasons, primarily that the 115 mile round trip commute was not sustainable, and we are not moving back to where the company was located. I said we are going to stay put where we are, or maybe even move back West.
Then he starting questioning me saying things like ‘Well you just moved to your current location that is 115 miles away, and now you may be considering moving again. I am confused. What is going on with you?’ I told him that it was personal and family related.
He then went on to say that they did not even recoup the cost of relocating me and hiring me for the year since I am leaving so quickly — that they obviously made a mistake with the whole hire. I felt like I was getting the 3rd degree here when I thought an exit interview was to discuss what I thought of my management and company. I was getting angry inside — basically I was thinking, it is your damn policy that a new hire work a year at the company after being relocated and, after that, there is no further obligation. I fulfilled my obligation! I even did quite well at work over the year. My manager said I would have fell in the successful part of the bell curve for my review, maybe even almost in the above successful category. I would have gotten a raise.
It even says in the handbook that employment is “at will”. I mean they can lay me off / fire me without cause, and I can leave without cause. Me doing the exit interview was a courtesy to them; and here I am feeling like I am on trial.
I kept my anger bottled up and acted professional. He apologized and said he didn’t mean to make me feel uncomfortable and make me feel like I was getting an inquisition. I said OK, and we moved on to the “normal” exit interview questions. I didn’t throw anyone nor the company under the bus; I just answered the questions and left.
Not fun at all; not a pleasant experience 
But that is the past and now it is time to look to the future, which I am looking forward to 
In the future, I recommend not accepting the relocation package. As you can tell, it’s very much like indentured servtitude.
[...] Bit More On My Exit Interview I have seen some comments on the web about my exit interview. Interesting comments for sure. So I thought I would add a bit more [...]
Johnny c,
That may be true, but relocation packages are a good thing in many ways. I think you just have to make decisions based on your current state in life and if things change down the road (even in the middle of your “indentured sevrvitude”), you just adjust accordingly.
Unbelievable. But I see this all the time. The company doesn’t want to consider the notion that perhaps it’s their fault (substandard compensation, policies, work environment, opportunities for advancement, projects, etc) that might be at issue here.
What’s the point of interrogating you like that? It’s none of their business. It comes down to a simple fact. If they helped you to love your job, then you’d possibly stay. If you’re not loving your job, it’s best that you go.
Or perhaps it’s none of that. Whatever the reason… You’ve fulfilled your obligations. An exit interview should be about the company learning what it can do better to keep a good employee, not beat you up.
Enjoy the new work and good luck in your ventures.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the comment. I totally agree with you. The point of an exit interview is for the company to get input on how the company can improve, and even what the good things are about the company currently. Not to berate or interrogate a departing employee.
Thanks for the good luck wishes. This blog will keep you posted on how things are going.
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