What to expect from an exit interview

Q: I have just given my notice after working for seven years at my current company. I was told that I should schedule an exit interview with corporate HR. I have never participated in an exit interview. What does this typically entail? If I share concerns about my manager, do they remain confidential (staying only with HR) or are they shared with others? I may need him as a reference one day in the future.

A: Congratulations on a giving your current company a good run of time! Seven years is an admirable length of service in most industries.

Most companies conduct exit interviews with employees leaving the company for a variety of reasons. One reason is that they want you to understand how your resignation will affect your pay and benefits. Some companies also want to solicit your feedback on the role, work environment and supervision received.

Sometimes your final paycheck may not look like your regular paycheck. If you are owed vacation time or paid time off (PTO), you should understand how and when that will be paid out. Or you may owe your employer vacation or PTO that you used but did not earn.

When will your benefits will end? Will your medical benefits continue through the end of the month or on your last active day of employment? What about your 401k, life insurance, disability, tuition aid, or other benefits?

Access to computer systems, your building, your office may be discussed. Company keys, laptops, corporate credit cards may also be collected.

You will likely be asked some questions about your work environment, your role, your workload and your supervisor. It is up to you what to share and what not to share. Before sharing any controversial information, I would strongly advise asking who receives the results of your exit interview. It is important for you to know this before you begin sharing. You raise a valid point. Each company has their own process for sharing this information. Some companies share general themes with each manager. Some employers share very specific information with the thought that the employee is gone and the risk for any backlash is minimal. Ask before you share.

Some of the questions that you may be asked:
•Would you recommend ABC company to a friend as a place to work?

• Do you feel like you had the tools and resources to do a good job here?

• How would you describe the culture of your department? our company?

• Do you feel like your goals were aligned with the company goals?

• Did your role match your expectations?

• Was the workload reasonable?

• Were you treated fairly and reasonably? Were others?

• Why did you begin looking for a new job?

• Is there anything that I should have asked that I didn’t ask?

• Is there anything that you would like to share that we didn’t talk about?

Finally, a good HR representative will leave you with a business card in case there are any additional concerns which surface after the exit interview. You may also want to ask how reference calls are handled by your company.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Thank you mom!

Q: Last week I was interviewed for a role which wasn’t really for me.  The interviewer was wonderful though and spent an hour with me.  She was patient, kind and generous with her time.  Is it worth sending a thank-you note?  I can’t ever see myself working in the job, but maybe some day I could see myself working at that company.  Maybe.

A: My mother was right in so many ways. When she made me and my siblings shovel snow for our elderly neighbors and refuse any money they offered to pay us. I remember being ticked off at the time but now I get it. When she made us take in a neighbor’s Boston Globe if they were away on vacation. She told us it was being a good neighbor. When she made us write thank-you notes for gifts that perhaps were not to our liking. She explained a thank-you note showed that we were grateful for the gesture, and it was not just about the gift.

Write the note. This person gave you a generous gift – her time! So many of us are running 1000 miles per hour and struggle with focusing on the person in front of us. She gave you that gift of her time and her attention. This woman focused on you for that hour. Many of our doctors don’t even do that in 2016! She will never get that time back. She could have used that for other tasks like email, online shopping or a pedicure. She didn’t. She focused on you!

Show that you respected and valued her time.  Thank her.  Your actions will be memorable to her.  I remember those that thanked me for my time.  I remember those that didn’t too.

Writing a thank-you note has become a lost art.  I am glad I was taught by my mother early.  It has stuck with me many years later.  My mother was right.  Again.  Thank you mom for the valuable lesson!

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Hiring woes

Q: My manager is the worst interviewer in the world. He just chit-chats with candidates. He doesn’t really interview them. We end up hiring these new employees who are really not qualified and make everyone else miserable. They don’t show up for work, they annoy others because they don’t have basic work skills and they don’t care about our customers. The original team is very committed to our customers. What should we do?

A: Working with colleagues who are less committed can be de-motivating. It sounds like you have a core team who are very focused on delivering results to your customers. Your manager should be asking questions about customer service, after a few “chit-chat” questions.

Beginning an interview with a few non-interview questions is fine. Questions like “Did you find us ok?” or “When will spring really begin?” are all ways to warm up a candidate and set the tone for a friendly back and forth. However, it sounds like customer service skills are critical. Some questions that your manager might want to ask are:

1. Tell me about your customer service experience.

2. Describe to me a time when you have had to interact with a very challenging customer.

3. What has been your favorite role of your career? If the candidate does not mention one with customer interaction, this might be a yellow flag. What has been the least favorite role of your career? Again, if the candidate includes a role with heavy customer interaction, this could be a concern.

4. How would you describe a strong co-worker?

5. How would your former co-workers describe you?

6. Describe to me the last piece of negative feedback a supervisor shared with you.

Notice I shared questions where a simple yes or no wouldn’t suffice. I focused on customer service skills and how this candidate interacts with co-workers. We have all worked with colleagues who are helpful and will chip in when a co-workers is harried or overwhelmed. When they are able, they assist a colleague. Then, we have those that look the other way when a co-worker is struggling. Or they volunteer for a project and and you find them surfing the net picking out new shoes. It is frustrating and I have worked with both types.

Every hire is a risk. In a relatively short amount of time, an interviewer has to assess a number of factors, including skill (can the candidate do the job?), cultural fit (can they add to the work environment or will they detract from it?), and co-worker relations (can they work well with others on the team, if this is important). In our firm, we help clients terminate more employees for cultural fit and how well (or not well!) they work with others. If a colleague can contribute to your work environment or positive co-worker relations, they are usually a keeper!

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Job Doc chat with Pattie Hunt Sinacole @ Boston.com on July 6

This week Pattie answered questions regarding some of toughest parts of the hiring process, including how to properly write a resume, how to impress an employer with a cover letter, and how employers analyze your cover letter. She also tackled the important issue of how to deal with rejection from potential employers, how to build a network, and more... read the transcript here http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2015/06/monday_noon_job_doc_chat_with_28.html

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.