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Employee Exit Interview Best Practices

This Exit Interview Template sets a good foundation for your company’s best practices on employee feedback. It should be adapted to your company’s specific needs and circumstances.

The Principle

It is natural that employees who are leaving the company may be more comfortable giving feedback about the company than when they were employees.

As a company, we would like to take advantage of this and tap into our former employees’ insights to better our management.

An exit interview is a method of gathering such information from employees who are resigning from the company. We specifically seek to know:

  • Why the employee chose to leave the company.
  • What is their next place of employment is?
  • In what way is their next position superior to their current one?
  • What the employee liked or disliked most in the company.
  • Whether the official job description matched their actual work.
  • What advice the employee would give to their successor.
  • What, in their opinion, the company can do to improve the working conditions for the remaining staff?

The employee exit interview policy applies to all employees who leave the company voluntarily.

Best Practices Highlights

Definitions

An exit interview can be described as a discussion with an employee who has resigned. The exit interview is to receive an honest opinion about their work experience with the company, their reasons for leaving, and ideas for improvement.

In-person interviews are usually preferred but we may use questionnaires or phone interviews depending on the employee’s preference.

Train Employees

Exit interviews are coordinated by HR, who may assign the interviews to the manager of the employee’s immediate supervisor. But immediate supervisors of the departing employees are not allowed to participate in the interviews. The company may also occasionally hire external consultants to conduct the interviews.

Exit Interviews are Voluntary

Exit interviews are voluntary and failure to participate does not draw any repercussions. HR should always make it clear to the employees that the exercise is optional but the company values their feedback immensely.

We will also offer tokens such as [gift cards] as a mark of appreciation to employees who agree to participate in the interview.

Conducting Exit Interviews

As a rule, the discussions in an exit interview should focus on collecting information from employees and understanding the company from their point of view.

Those conducting the interview should not:

  • Attempt to persuade the employee to rescind the resignation.
  • Become sensitive and defensive to negative feedback.
  • Focus only on gathering negative feedback.
  • Exaggerate the employee’s feedback or quote them out of context to advance a different agenda.

Standard Format

The length of the interview may vary from person to person and whether it is in-person, over the phone, or in a video call. However, standard time should be about [60 minutes].

In concluding the interview, HR should close with a positive and conciliatory tone, thanking the employee on behalf of the company for their service during their employment and honest feedback.

Sample questions

Exit interview questions may be determined by the employee’s seniority, role, and length of service.

Some standard questions for all roles would include:

  • Briefly summarize your general experience working for us. And if you don’t mind, may I know what exactly prompted your resignation?
  • What is the best thing about working here?
  • Given the chance, what would you change about our workplace?
  • How would you rate guidance and training opportunities here?
  • Did the company recognize you for your work?
  • What were the main constraints to your efficiency or productivity?

HR should use these as baseline exit interview questions in all interviews. These should then open up a discussion that will guide the employee into opening up and giving honest feedback on other issues.

In Case of an Important Disclosure

An exit interview may uncover an important issue that would be in the company’s interest to immediately follow up. This could be incidents such as harassment, discrimination, or embezzlement. HR should record these issues for immediate follow-up within the company policy.

They should also let the exiting employee know that some of their feedback warrants disclosure owing to its importance.

Confidentiality

Exit interview contents must remain confidential and exiting employees must be made aware of this. HR should assure the employees that the results of the interview are presented to the management without direct attribution to an individual source.

Procedure

Once HR receives a notice of resignation, it may reach out to the employee and request for an exit interview, this request should be in writing. The format of the interview should be at the discretion of the employee who may also decline participation.

The preferred timing should be before the employee’s final week of service in the company. HR should avoid scheduling on the last day unless it is completely unavoidable. Another alternative would be giving the interview within [a month] after the employee’s final day in the company.

HR should always compile and analyze data from exit interviews and share insights and recommendations with senior management. These reports can be submitted annually or quarterly or even more frequently depending on the issues involved.

Follow up Survey

A follow-up interview may be necessary for some employees [six months] after the initial interview. This would help us to reaffirm the employee’s initial sentiments when departing and perhaps extract further feedback that the employee may have been reluctant to give the first time.

HR should inform such employees via email that they intend to send an email survey and must seek their consent beforehand.

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5 Challenges of Online Learning – and How to Solve Them

There are indications we may, finally, be entering a post-COVID-19 world. While no one can predict what that world will look like from an employee training perspective, one thing is clear: there will be no return to a pre-COVID normal.

Now that employees have tasted the convenience of flex-time and work-from-home policies, it’s too late to recork that bottle. And while online training has been around for some time, it truly evolved and came of age out of necessity during the pandemic. Now it’s here to stay – with demand continuing to grow, fueled not only by the ongoing necessity for social distancing but by younger generations for whom convenient training is non-negotiable.

There are benefits and challenges of online learning, and it’s prudent to be aware of both. If your company hasn’t yet embraced online learning or is in the process of doing so, this post will help you think through and prepare for this exciting transition. Let’s walk through five common challenges of online learning your company is bound to encounter, and tips for overcoming them.

Boring or Unengaging Content

Even in the age of interactivity and personalization, trainers may rely too much on one-size-fits-all content. Some companies, in their eagerness to move to online training, simply digitize their paper-based training content without first adapting it for a new learning medium and audience. That’s a recipe for training that is uninspiring and boring. One way to avoid the boredom trap is to break your learning courses into small, bite-sized modules that can be quickly and easily consumed by your employees.

To create and sustain interest in online training, your L&D specialists must ensure their content and capabilities are visual, interactive, responsive, and relevant. Granted, that’s a lot to ask, given how much they’re already doing. The good news is that today’s easy-to-deploy LMS is powered by artificial intelligence, designed for a mobile-first experience, and comes equipped with immersive, engaging features like gamification and social learning. Today’s LMS can keep even the most tech-savvy employees on their feet.

Technical Difficulties

Technology can help facilitate online training, communication, and collaboration; in fact, transitioning to online learning cannot be achieved without an investment in technology. But it must be the right technology. The last thing you want is to have different employees operating from different operating systems and browsers. As soon as employees encounter “technical difficulties,” their frustration levels could grow and they may end up blowing off the training altogether.

Train Employees

This is why it’s critical to ensure you have IT staff available to serve your employees and help ease their transition to online training. Also, you can avoid the compatibility trap and other technical issues by selecting an online learning platform that is easy to deploy and use. Consider investing in an LMS with a simple mobile-first interface that all employees can access anytime, regardless of their physical location.

Lack of Motivation

One of the biggest challenges of learning in an online environment is maintaining motivation. Many employees count on external motivation to complete this necessary training, such as co-worker encouragement or a top-down deadline. Adding intrinsic motivation is the icing on the cake, building enthusiasm and engagement as well. Without either, managers could very well see a decline in participation among staff and, in turn, productivity.

One to maintain motivational momentum is to create a schedule, develop small, achievable goals, and track goals against progress. Here, technology offers another solution. Right now one of the most promising areas in learning development is the gamification of employee training. By introducing friendly competition and incentives, trainers can keep their employees motivated and increase training completion rates.

Sense of Disconnect or Loneliness

One “side effect” of online learning to be on the lookout for is a sense of isolation that comes with completing training solo, rather than in a group setting. Should this feeling grow, it could cause employees to become withdrawn and unhappy. It also can affect their sense of belonging, self-esteem, and over time, their attitude and productivity.

Learning and development specialists and managers can help prevent this scenario. Always listen openly and empathetically to your employees’ needs, and use technology to facilitate connection opportunities between staff members. For example, a learning management system (LMS), which many companies use to automate and administer their online training programs, has social media and social learning mechanisms built into it. This can help build a community around learning, rather than silos.

Time Constraints

The 2019 LinkedIn Learning Report found that the most significant obstacle to employee training is a scarcity of time. That’s why it’s so important that the message comes from the top – unless employees are told explicitly to invest time in training, they will be reluctant to do so.

In order to accelerate training completion rates, HR and L&D specialists may find that they are constantly sending email reminders to staff, which can take a good amount of time and may or may not be effective. One of the time-saving features of an LMS is that it can automate the enrollment process, send out reminder emails, and even provide real-time course completion rates.

Another way to encourage time-strapped employees to make time for training is to make it irresistibly convenient and flexible. One reason why the mobile-first LMS is so popular is that it gives employees greater control over their training journey; they can log on to the user-friendly interface and access training anywhere, any place, and on any device.

But remember, while online training can empower employees and significantly reduce HR and trainer expenditures, there are challenges that accompany the shift to online learning. Almost all companies, sooner or later, must navigate the five challenges of online learning that we just walked through.

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As they transition to online training, companies that invest in technology will be ahead of the curve and in a position to take advantage of its tremendous benefits. The cost savings alone of cloud-based training is potentially huge, depending on how much your company traditionally spends on the instructor, course, venue, travel, and printing costs. In addition to cutting costs, online training can help accelerate the onboarding process and lead to new efficiencies. Because of these advantages, online learning is clearly here to stay. While online learning solutions are not without their initial challenges, once you’re up and running it’s much smoother to maintain and improve.

Book a demo today to learn how the World Manager LMS makes it easy to incorporate online training into your learning and development mix.

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How Goal-Setting Can Transform the Employee Learning Experience

Companies today realize that using the right Learning Managing System is the first step towards empowering their employees to grow and learn.

There are key numbers supporting the above statement.

In 2017, the percentage of US companies using online learning hit 77%. According to the Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Outlook Survey, eLearning could reduce employee training time by as much as 40-60%.

Amazon recognized this new era of employee training and took the action required to seize today’s labor market, investing millions towards employee training.

This report shows that 67% of employers surveyed in 2019 offer educational assistance to some or all of their employees, indicating America’s commitment to a more productive, happier workforce.

Employee development programs are the best way to tap into current employee potential. The main goal is to improve the employee’s existing competencies to help achieve the employer’s goals.

Train Employees

While most managers get it right by introducing training plans, they fall short by failing to take the measurable steps required to put a favorable learning outline in place.

Why Are Learning Objectives Important for Employee Training?

Training objectives are the measurable steps a manager needs to achieve their overall training program goal.

Employee training and goal-setting are vital responsibilities for any manager. By setting attainable goals, a manager not only spearheads an improvement in employee performance but also fortifies the company’s reputation as an employer of choice.

A Harvard MBA study on goal setting found that 14% of the MBAs who set goals were 10 times more successful than those without goals, even though they hadn’t actually written their goals down.

The 3% of MBAs who had written their goals down, were 3 times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals.

The main benefits of setting training objectives are:

  • Saving the company time and money
  • Determining the design process for training materials and features
  • Giving learning administrators a training roadmap
  • Allowing employees to set clear goals
  • Helping administrators with analysis
  • Bringing sharp focus to the company’s short-term and future success
  • Setting guidelines and criteria for successful employee performance reviews

How Can You Set Appropriate Training Goals?

This TED Talk by John Doerr sums it up nicely.

“Execution is what matters the most.”

Before starting any training cycle, the manager needs to conduct a Training Needs Analysis (TNA).

Although a TNA can be conducted at any time, they’re best done:

  • After hiring new employees
  • Right before performance reviews
  • When performance improvements are needed
  • To facilitate incumbent employees’ career development
  • When new changes are made to employees’ jobs

Before crafting training learning objectives, the manager needs to access their LMS goal and answer these questions:

  • Does the LMS goal reflect the company’s vision of how training programs should be run?
  • Is the goal shaped towards the intended result of a well-run program?
  • What are the company’s immediate, intermediate, and long-term training needs?
  • What gaps exist in the employees’ job performances?

Once These Questions Are Handled, the Training Managers’ Next Steps Include:

Factoring in the Whole Company

For example, if the company employs full-time, part-time or remote employees, the learning objectives should consider them as well:

  • Company stakeholders
  • Training facilitators
  • Contractors
  • Team Leads

Considering All Employee Training Levels

A program created for entry-level employees cannot be the same as one targeting seasoned ones.

The training manager must create objectives based on the varying degrees of curriculum and material required at each employee level.

Learning goals should take into account the six cognitive learning goals outlined by Bloom’s Taxonomy. These include:

Remembering: Where the learner is required to recall their previously acquired knowledge, i.e.: recognize, recall, retrieve, list, name, define, and match.

Understanding: Where the learner needs to demonstrate their comprehension by explaining what they learned to others. I.e.: interpret, identify, classify, and explain.

Applying: Where the learners can make the transition from theory to practice i.e.: organize, plan, implement, execute, and solve.

Analyzing: Where the learners can effortlessly break down gained knowledge into smaller components and identify each differing relationship in the information i.e.: categorize, classify, simplify, list, distinguish, and compare.

Evaluating: Where learners are able to exercise judgment and form decisions based on the knowledge acquired i.e.: choose, compare, measure, determine, disprove, prioritize, and interpret.

Creating: Where learners become independent enough to create something new using the newly acquired knowledge i.e.: develop, design, improve, adapt, solve, modify, and perform.

Involving the Employees in the Whole Process

The drive behind setting goals is to help employees improve organically. Naturally, including them from start to finish is the smart choice.

Securing employee buy-in for training and development has its perks:

  • It increases the likelihood of success.
  • Short- and long-term goals can be a collaborative effort between the employees and the manager.
  • There’s a higher chance of developing SMART training goals (specific, measurable, actionable, results-oriented, and time-bound).
  • It raises employee commitment and allows a sense of ownership over their training.
  • It encourages employees to set stretch goals.
  • It motivates ongoing development, even beyond the workplace.

Linking Business Objectives to Employees’ Individual Goals

Most companies that report effective performance management systems have found a way to align their employees’ goals to the organization’s business priorities.

Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit. — C. William Pollard, Chairman, Fairwyn Investment Company

The training facilitator must show employees how their individual goals can fit into the bigger company picture.

By converting the above elements into overall team performance goals, the facilitator increases the employees’ levels of personal accountability over their performances.

Adapting Learning Goals in Real-Time

Successful adult learning goals evolve over time.

An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive advantage. — Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO

The biggest mistake training managers make is creating goals at the beginning of the year and only getting back to them during reviews.

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Business realities vary from month to month, and failing to revisit them can be demotivating for the employees. Therefore, the goals must flow with the organization’s changes throughout the year.

Great Employee Learning Goals

Learning goals are headed in the right direction if they:

  • Include specific action verbs e.g.: Before the next quarter, all employees need to demonstrate proficiency in using our new office communication tool.
  • Include a specific criterion for measuring success e.g. 90% training attendance or at least half of employees scoring over 70% in evaluation tests.
  • Are concise and succinct, featuring shorter sentences with clear intent.
  • Define expected outcomes.

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Here are some examples of specific goals:

Before Q1, the training facilitator shall have in-depth knowledge of how departments within the company are run.

All new hires must complete the onboarding training within three months.

At the end of induction training, each employee will be able to discuss the company’s vision and how it ties to their own role.

Before Q2, we shall conduct a feedback survey to determine what needs improvement.

By the end of Q2, each department should have completed training based on their needs.

Making It Work

Every training manager or facilitator should remember that goal-setting should at no point be framed as a competition among employees. Encouraging internal rivalry will only demotivate some while alienating others.

Employees with similar responsibilities should have the same training goals.

It is, however, important to have a system in place to reward employees who achieve or exceed their goals. The recognition could be in the form of:

  • A bonus check
  • Public acknowledgment
  • Training certificates
  • Promotions

Rewards incentivize people to push themselves while strengthening the corporate culture.

Since you are dealing with a human workforce, the training manager should also account for some employees falling short of their goals.

The manager’s role, in this case, is to step in and provide guidance where needed, not berate the employees. Together, they should discuss areas of difficulty before coming up with feasible solutions for retraining, with better objectives.

When done correctly, employee learning goals can propel real change, improving organizational commitment, and clarity.

Book a demo with World Manager today to learn how to enhance your current employee, stakeholder, and customer training using the right LMS.

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35 Online Learning Quotes to Inspire

Good online education quotes can inspire and enlighten; they can brighten your day and show you the way.

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Online Training: The Answer to Your Company Training Challenges

For their 3rd annual Workplace Learning Report, LinkedIn surveyed over 1,200 talent developers (L&D and HR professionals) and more than 2,100 workplace learners worldwide to gauge industry trends.

The findings show that Learning and Development are at the forefront. So funds are continuously channeled towards online training solutions like World Manager.

While online training will never phase out in-person training, it is now more important than ever to empower employees to use this tool anywhere, anytime.

Here are some common business challenges and how to solve them using online training.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Emerging trends such as digital migration and the dynamic nature of workplace skills are challenging organizations to keep up with as they work to hire and develop their employees.

So how can organizations remain relevant in a world that won’t stop changing?

Adapt the Training to Millennials.

29% The percentage of Millennials engaged at work.

Millennials are emotionally and behaviorally connected to their job and company.

This is according to a report published by Gallup that cautions employers about the domino effect of these shocking statistics:

“If they are not engaged in those jobs, companies’ profitability, productivity and innovation will suffer. And if they are not thriving in their well-being, they will struggle in life, affecting how they perform as citizens, consumers, and employees.”

Gallup recommends organizations update their cultures to suit their younger workforce by focusing on these functional changes:

  1. Think purpose, not a paycheck. Of course, adequate compensation is important, but it is not the driving force of millennial workers. What they really want to know and internalize is your “why” as an organization. Use the Golden Circle to effectively convey this to your employees in an “Introduction” module in your online training program.
  2. Development over mere job satisfaction. The stereotype that Millennials are lured by incentives such as pool tables and free food won’t cut it! Provide clear pathways to development for each role so that they’re constantly motivated.
  3. More coaches, fewer bosses. Millennials care about being seen as both people and employees. They would like coaches who partner with them in their professional growth rather than bellow orders.
  4. Ongoing conversations instead of annual reviews. Millennials communicate in real-time and on the go. This makes them more inclined towards consistent communication and feedback. So direct specific feedback to them using the contact management software found in our communications suite.
  5. Don’t broadcast their weaknesses, develop their strengths. Gallup has discovered that “weaknesses never develop into strengths, while strengths develop infinitely”. Don’t disregard weaknesses, simply focus more on encouraging their strengths.
  6. It’s not just their job but an integral part of their life. So they actually want to enjoy what they do. And are curious about how much you value their contributions. Make this very clear to them by setting up team leaders who help you monitor individual employees’ progress. Reward individual milestones accordingly.

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Provide Opportunities for Development

Meet your employees’ expectations by providing:

  • Visual career paths. Help employees envision themselves rising through the ranks at your organization.
  • Success profiles that highlight the requirements for each role your employees may aspire towards.
  • Career development plans that are customized for each individual employee’s career goals. They should review them every so often with their respective supervisors.

Develop a Reward System

What’s the easiest way to capture Millennials’ attention? Gamification! Not only that but also an elaborate reward system will drive their performance through the roof!

Josh Bersin, founder of Bersin by Deloitte, insists that a new set of rewards will enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees by offering benefits that cater to their financial wellness, fitness, stress relief, mindfulness, and work-life flexibility.

All this is especially important to Millennials today and can be achieved using our Achievement Awards tool.

Establish a Workplace Learning Culture

L&D managers have never been a more vital component in the workplace now that there is a shift from instructor-led training to online training.

They can quickly identify the most crucial skill gaps within your team and the appropriate programs to help close them.

Wondering whether these talent developers “walk the talk”? The statistics will shock you!

And what better way to meet these same goals in your organization than by designing a suitable online training program using our efficient Learning Management System (LMS)?

The right online program will help you:

  1. Clarify your objectives from the onset to encourage completion rates.
    Have you ever thought about marketing your online training program? Be proactive! Spell out all of its amazing benefits for your employees.
    Be strategic. Use various channels such as email and videos to highlight how specific modules enhance the skills of different departments in your organization.
    Scenario-based training will specifically help new employees deepen their understanding of the department they’ll be part of. Bing Lee has experienced this first hand:

    “We have used video training and find it very useful and informative for our staff. Pictures do tell a thousand words, just as videos do as well, and I feel that staff are more inclined to remember if they watch a video.”

    Don’t forget your CTAs! Include a link that directs your employees to the program. They are more likely to work through the entire training when they have a strong “why”.

  2. Track results and do post-assessment.
    Movement For Life shares its experience:

    “Once we have employed an individual, we give them access to all the required paperwork and pre-employment reading. By having these documents within learning modules, we are able to track their progress through the documents and ensure they understand the key points. When the module is complete, we know that they have completed all of the required pre-employment paperwork and reading, saving considerable time when they arrive on-site.”

  3. Introduce and manage collaborative learning.
    Being one of the most cost-effective team-building strategies for remote teams, collaborative learning can build much-needed team spirit in the workplace.
    Today’s online training doesn’t stop at chat features and audio-video conferencing. It surpasses it! It provides your team with collaborative tools like message boards, forums, resource-sharing hubs, etc.

Global Workforce: Cultural Differences and Generational Gaps

A learning style that is particularly effective in one country may not be as successful in another. Add on the age disparity between the employees in your workplace and choosing appropriate education methods can get chaotic!

Simply consider your potential learning audience, and develop resources that are both multilingual and multicultural.

Identify learners’ preferences and styles

Find out the various needs of your learners, particularly how comfortable they are with different types of technology. Use this knowledge to design your online training program.

A user-friendly interface is exactly what all learners need to easily navigate your software. Even with basic computing skills, they shouldn’t struggle to play a video or upload an assignment.

Microlearning has never been more convenient! Provide downloadable reading materials in the form of PDFs, Videos, and Presentations that really help cement the training.

Create and Manage Discussion Forums

Wondering how to create a stronger sense of community within your team? Bras N’ Things know a thing or two:

“In regards to Raving Fans and celebrating the wins, we don’t have to wait for the weekly newsletter, it’s all instant and generates excitement. The teams are also empowered by being able to give direct feedback and receive a response, definitely culture building.”

Here’s an idea! How about setting up an online photo storage gallery that creates excitement for staff events? Watch employee engagement increase as employees share memorable photos from various work events.

As you can see, there are so many learning solutions to choose from! Save yourself the hassle. Book a demo today!

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