Ask Paul

Is it proper and professional to decline an exit interview when leaving a position?

-Director of National Accounts, , electrical distributor

Paul: Unless it was written into an offer letter, employment agreement or contract or in a company’s policies, I don’t think it’s improper at all---it’s really up to you. I don’t believe professionalism enters into it, as you (unless contractually obligated) certainly have the right to elect whether to participate. Exit interviews vary widely in their nature and while some may effective learning opportunities for companies in some of their practices, they can also be used as ‘grilling’ sessions and can often end up with ‘exit quotes’ being attributed to you that either may be taken out of context or just in correct and end up burning a bridge with your previous company. They can also be used for information-gathering in order to prepare a counter-offer, which puts you in an awkward situation when you turn them down again. We generally recommend that candidates decline an exit interview and spend that time tying up loose ends.

We’re looking for a National Sales Manager and would like to consider candidates throughout the county. What is the norm for what companies provide for relocation nowadays? We have a great reputation but we’re not a big conglomerate and we can’t afford to buy anyone’s house.

-President, , architectural lighting fixture manufacturer

Paul: Relocation packages vary widely these days. Covering the costs of a candidate moving all of his/her household goods is pretty standard. Occasionally relocation costs include ‘pick and pack’ fees, meaning the moving service will pack all household goods, but this is not always done. Some small lighting companies will use a ‘best of three’ concept for moving a candidate’s household goods--- having the candidate getting estimates from three moving companies and then both parties agreeing to use the best (least expensive) of the three estimates. Most companies cover 30-90 days’ worth of temporary housing (an extended-stay hotel, an executive apartment or townhome) and 2-3 trips to either look at the new area to select housing and/or to fly back home to attend to dealing with moving issues. These trips also include your candidate’s family (if applicable). Some companies will also cover closing costs and/or realtor’s commissions, but this usually is done more for higher level positions (President, General Manager, etc.) and/or by the very biggest companies. The days of ‘buying’ the candidate’s house (which actually used to be done frequently many years ago) are almost a thing of the past, though. Even the very biggest lighting manufacturers have trimmed the features of their relocation packages in an effort to cut costs and they offer fewer relocation benefits than they did, say, 10-20 years ago.