Knowledge management necessitates exit interviews, which promote good practices within the organization. The departing employees can suggest steps to prevent any large-scale turnover. Conducted in an open and sensitive atmosphere, exit interviews can prove to be very useful.
Exit interviews are a natural extension of good management processes where good HR practices are already firmly established, elsewhere, they are merely of cosmetic value. An exit interview can be defined as "the meeting held with the outgoing employee, be it on resignation or on termination, by the management, normally represented by someone other than the employee's direct supervisor, for the avowed purpose of finding out about the predominant nature of feelings which the employee is taking away with him about the company". This, it is believed, could throw some useful light on the company's work environment, managerial styles in operation, employee spirit, and other factors, which might have influenced the behavior of the person while at work, as also the final decision, resulting in the employee resigning or the management terminating his services.
The unuttered thought or philosophy behind the conduction of such an interview is that, at the time of parting of ways, employees will give free, frank and honest feedback about the company, without fear or favor, so that the management could look at the weak areas in its HR or other practices, and bring about improvements. Similarly, good practices, appreciated by the employees, could be strengthened. Some writers believe that conducted appropriately, this could also elicit specific information on who, or what, is having a negative impact on the work environment. Most writers suggest that the interview should be conducted by the HR people, who would enable the employee to open up, and candidly share his valuable insight for the benefit of the rest of the employees, and for the healthy functioning of the company in the future. This area, however, is not as simple or as free from controversy, as would seem at first sight.
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