The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released numbers showing that in November 2010, more workers quit their jobs than were laid off. Furthermore, November was the 4th consecutive month to see an increase in the number of workers voluntarily leaving their positions.

With more and more employees exiting out of their current jobs, you may be experiencing an increase in turnover at your Houston company. While it may present a challenge, it’s also a good time for you to evaluate why employees are leaving and what you can do to prevent turnover of good employees in the future.

That said, not all employee turnover is bad. For instance, if you’re overstaffed or have a poor performer, you may actually be relieved when they give you their two-week notice.

Still, even in these cases, there’s always something to be learned from employee turnover. They way to tap into that information is by conducting an exit interview; otherwise, you could miss out on a valuable opportunity. For instance, done right, exit interviews can help you:

• Identify a problem that is causing employee turnover.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of employment and business policies and practices.
• Learn about what another employer is offering your soon-to-be former employee.
• Provide a positive last impression of your company to the departing employee.
• Improve your employee retention strategies and attract and retain talent in the future.

To help you conduct an effective exit interview, here is some information on what to ask and how to use the data you compile.

Questions to Ask

What you ultimately decide to ask should reflect what your primary purposes or goals are for the interview. For instance, are you simply trying to show the employee you value their input or are you trying to improve retention strategies?

Regardless, here are some common topics to help you get started:

• Reason(s) for leaving
• Compensation
• Work environment/culture
• Management and supervision
• Company employment and business practices
• Training and development opportunities
• Aspects of the employee’s new position, such as pay

Also, make sure you end the interview on a positive note, such as thanking the employee for their contribution to the company and asking for input on how to help you retain existing talent in the future. If the employee leaves feeling valued and respected, they are less likely to talk negatively about the company.

Using the Information

Once you’ve gathered information from an interview, it’s important to feed it back to the employees and managers with whom the employee worked. But don’t just pass along the comments without providing context that will educate those involved and bring about change to problem areas. Also, don’t be surprised if employees or managers are taken aback by the information shared, especially if it’s negative. But it’s your job to frame the information in a manner that offers an opportunity for improvement.

Also be sure to deliver positive comments, as well. It’s easy to think that employees know when they’re doing a good job. But praise can go a long way in creating loyalty, improving productivity, and limiting turnover in the future.

And if you need some help dealing with employee turnover at your company, please contact Murray Resources. As a staffing services firm in Houston, we can help you find and hire skilled professionals to fill gaps in talent, as well as develop creative and effective solutions for retaining your star performers.

Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services.