back

by jader201·11y ago·view on hn ↗
I disagree quite a bit with the advice left at the bottom. It seems many people equate "being honest" with "being a jerk".

You can still provide very honest and valuable feedback when you exit a company, without being a jerk. If the move is really about you, and nothing that the company can or should change, then that's fine.

But if there are things that the company did to cause you to leave, or if a once great company changed directions and started diverting from what you considered an awesome place to work, then you are only hurting those you leave behind when you "focus on yourself" and not "focus on others or the company".

If you're exit interview is with HR, then it may very well not do any good. But if you're tactful and constructive with your feedback -- even if it is about things the company could change -- then it shouldn't hurt you. And if the interview is with someone above you -- or if it falls in their hands -- then it could very well benefit the company and the people you leave behind.

If I were your ex-coworker, I would be disappointed that you didn't take the opportunity to help improve the culture I'm still a part of. If I were your manager, I would want you to be honest so that I can improve the culture to attract better talent going forward.

If the company/people you work with don't handle constructive feedback very well, then that's their problem and not yours.

My advice: Be honest, but professional and constructive about it.

4 comments
You can still provide very honest and valuable feedback when you exit a company, without being a jerk.

Not when the people on the receiving end of that feedback are the ones that associate negativity or uncomfortable opinions with "being a jerk."

If the company/people you work with don't handle constructive feedback very well, then that's their problem and not yours.

The sanitized non-committal vague responses are an evolutionary response to fact American corporate culture generally doesn't handle it well, and can turn it into your problem.

I agree completely with your second sentence. However, not everyone takes constructive criticism well and you need to be aware of how what you say might be received.

"If the company/people you work with don't handle constructive feedback very well, then that's their problem and not yours."

Again, I agree. However, if they don't handle it very well and then I'm applying for a job and they know someone who knows someone at my would-be company and they're asked about me, well, then it is my problem.

All of this. As someone on the other end of exit interviews, I am more impressed by people who give honest critical feedback than people who can't or won't articulate their reasons for leaving.
Yes, in a pragmatic work environment you ought to be airing and discussing all these issues before you decide to leave.
> You can still provide very honest and valuable feedback when you exit a company, without being a jerk.

You could also spruce up the decor a bit before you walk out the door for the last time. But, why?

Because, assumedly, there are co-workers you're leaving behind that you like/care about and you want to make their experience a bit better (if you can). It's very rare for a person to just be like "I hate all of you. I'm out."

Perhaps feedback like "A lot of people are unhappy about X. If X continues, others may end up quitting as well" will cause them to actually do something about X.

Of course, if you're super cynical you could believe that they're just going to ignore your feedback. But this is why most exit interviews are done by HR and not your manager.

From the original article, I think this guy's approach is almost 100% wrong. There are a few things that are accurate - it's not a place to just rant or blow off steam. But it IS a place to be honest and provide constructive feedback. If there's something going on that you're unhappy about, bring it up. This paranoia about "it will stay in your permanent file" is just cowardly.

Of course, I've worked at places where, before my exit interview, people who are high up in the company (boss's bosses, etc) have always encouraged me to point out the things that can be improved.

Because it is a frighteningly small world?
It's small if one is geographically constrained or one has risen up to a certain point on the promotion ladder.

Beyond those factors I am skeptical that it's worth worrying about whether a past manager will have anything bad or good to say about a person.

Even if the chance were worth considering, I think one would do better to view it as a negative signal if a company makes the decision to not hire based on one bad or negative reference. It means the company was looking for any excuse to not hire the candidate, and it seems very likely in that case there wasn't really a good fit. This of course assumes that negative experiences are (relatively) rare. There are people who just can't help but torch the place everywhere they go, but no advice really applies in such extreme cases.

same reason/s you might hold the door open for someone behind you.
Are you sure? I bet people tend to do that because it's expected of them and they know others are watching.