Exit, stage left.
Posted 2/5/2020Is 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.