Ah exit interviews. These awkward last hurrah of soon-to-be former employees are often used as a venue to vent at everything that went wrong during his or her stay. However, this is not the way to do it. Exit interviews are used by a company's HR to see an employee's experience and see if these can be used to reduce turnover rates and increase employee retention.
Venting to HR actually does not do too much good. First, the employee has practically no leverage in this situation and venting can only make current employees' situations a bit worse. At the least, venting does not improve situations for the ones left behind, GN Careers noted.
So how can an exit interview benefit an employee? The first is to be able to prove oneself as a credible source of information. Also, being constructive can get the attention of HR much more than just violently venting about all that went wrong.
Preparation is key. Make a list of points that you want to discuss and be sure to highlight some. Remember that these points do not have to be negative. These points are to be used for better management and fostering better growth and opportunities for current and future employees.
Having a balanced review, with a mix of positive and negative points, is the way to do it. In this way, a balanced picture of an employee's experience can be mapped out. If a company runs standardized questions, then it is better to know it beforehand. If you know former employees, be sure to ask them about it.
If there was a specific incident that made you quit in the first place, then there is no point in dwelling upon it. Simply state it without getting too muddled up with the details. Remember that you are already on your way out so it is better to not burn bridges for this reason.
