HR question - exit interview form

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice please, I’ve recently resigned from my job and have around three weeks of notice left. I’ll not likely be having an exit interview and informed my manager and his manager I’m leaving simply because I’ve been offered a new role, although I told my manager I don’t think he likes the way I work, which he said isn’t true.

The real reason I’m leaving is due to my manager who’s in a few short months made my life hell, has caused me to suffer a lot of anxiety to a point where I’ve become quite unwell from this, shattered my confidence and simply can’t stand to work there any longer.

I’ve received a form from HR which is effectively a tick box to how good or bad my experience of working for the company has been and my reasons for leaving. I’m assuming this is in place of an exit interview. I’m in two minds as to whether I should be honest about my reasons for leaving or whether to stick to my original reason for leaving. Ultimately now I just want to get out of there, but at the same time I don’t want my manager to do this to anyone else and be able to get away with it.

If I return this to HR with some honesty, what would likely happen with this? Would it just be to make them aware, would it be used against me or the manager in the future for any reason? Is there a chance that they would get sight of this?

I’m going to be working in the same industry and I’m always very concious not to burn bridges, keep my reputation strong and maintain professional integrity. But as I say, a part of me wants to make the way I’ve been treated known.

Many thanks.
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Comments

  • Ozzuk
    Ozzuk Posts: 1,884
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    I'd not bother, I left a job many years ago by throwing my toys out of the pram but it rarely does any good. Even if HR follow up with the manager you won't be there to find out, or even quantify/qualify your points. And who knows, you may even end up coming back some day, or needing references. I'd suggest putting it behind you, if you have anxiety issues then it's quite possible if you are honest and say what has happened you'll then spend months worrying about any comeback or if you did the correct thing.
  • HR won't care, the company won't care as long as the manager is making profit/hitting targets, the only person who cares is you.

    Fill the forms out with the reasons you have already given, the time to be complaining about your manager is when things start to become an issue not after you've given your notice.

    Sorry to be blunt.
  • theoretica
    theoretica Posts: 12,256
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    Or just leave some boxes blank on the form.
    But a banker, engaged at enormous expense,
    Had the whole of their cash in his care.
    Lewis Carroll
  • Ja7188
    Ja7188 Posts: 336
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    Personally I'm not sure I'd even bother filling in the form - wouldn't have thought they'll chase you for it.

    In case you're worried about whether what you do will impact your reference, a company big enough to have a separate HR department is unlikely to issue a reference that states anything other than the basic details of your role.
  • Spidernick
    Spidernick Posts: 3,803
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    Personally if I was you I wouldn't burn my bridges, even though I have been in the same position in the past. Things change and you may find in the future that you need to return to your current employer (at which stage the problem manager manager may not even be there) which won't be an option if you have caused trouble (or are seen to have done so) now.
    'I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my father. Not screaming and terrified like his passengers.' (Bob Monkhouse).

    Sky? Believe in better.

    Note: win, draw or lose (not 'loose' - opposite of tight!)
  • I had an exit interview today (sadly not a written form) and they do not mean anything unless you are prepared to stay and follow through with a grievance. Exit Interview = No action.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,366
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    From my experience and exit interview is utterly pointless. If the reason for leaving is work issues which had been raised previously and not acted on, they aren't going to act on them now. Similarly if the reason is financial but no rise was forthcoming, it's not going to happen now. Any documentation I've seen for written exit interviews stresses that whatever is written is treated in total confidence, so nobody will know why so nothing will happen. See the common theme?
  • Interestingly the only time I've been given an 'exit interview' it was with the MD of the company but I felt it was a fishing exercise to get some dirt on my line manager.


    I refused to play the game as I felt that, whilst the workload was given to me by my manager, it was ultimately the MD who was dictating it.
  • You've mentioned professional integrity and I'm thinking about personal and moral integrity.
    If you don't muster up the courage to say something, the next person/people are going to go through the same bad experience you did.
    Maybe muster up the courage to say it in a diplomatic way (I've done this before), because if someone is treating people badly, it should be made known - even if the employer doesn't do anything about it.
  • Jo_F
    Jo_F Posts: 1,780
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    I recently had to do an exit interview, I wasn't leaving the company, but was leaving the contract for another one, as was another colleague. Basically we were forced out by the behaviour of the new supervisor. His line manager insisted on the interviews, funny enough, when discussing them between ourselves afterwards they were pretty much the same. Nothing bad against the company and upper management, nothing good about the supervisor, plenty of comments about the witch hunts going on in the base, the sexism, the favouritism, bullying etc etc.


    I know they were read, and I know the manager appreciates what we said. Who knows if they will ever be of use to someone, but at least we know the company know why we wanted to get out of that office.
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