Managing Smart: Obtaining Feedback from Exiting Employees
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Thursday, December 16, 2021
By Courtney Demings, Coordinator, Equal Opportunity
Employees transition from their place of employment for a variety of reasons, some of which employees may not feel comfortable fully disclosing until they depart from the organization. As an employer, Valencia College values employee feedback and offers departing employees an opportunity to complete an employee exit questionnaire, which they receive from Organizational Development and Human Resources (ODHR).
Participation in the exit questionnaire process is entirely voluntary, and any information that is shared is kept as private as possible and excluded from one’s personnel file. The employee exit questionnaire allows Valencia to glean from employees’ experiences and utilize this feedback to improve processes and support employees’ progress.
Typically, employees are sent this questionnaire when supervisors submit an Employee Separation Form (ESF), unless another active job is reflected on the ESF. After receiving the ESF form, ODHR generally sends two email notifications to employees encouraging completion of the employee exit questionnaire.
The digital questionnaire is divided into sections, including employee background information, reasons for leaving and quality of life at Valencia College. On average, it should take 15 to 20 minutes to complete depending on the number of details the employee provides. The questionnaire can be completed via an online link or telephone meeting with an ODHR representative whereas the ODHR representative completes the digital form on an employee’s behalf.
Once the employee exit questionnaire is received, the ODHR team reviews the content and determines the appropriate next steps, which in limited circumstances may include following up with the former employee to get additional clarity on their responses. Additionally, next-level leadership may be contacted to discuss general themes addressed on a questionnaire while protecting the privacy of the individual(s) who disclosed the information.
Although we have always reviewed each questionnaire submission and customarily taken some level of action in response to feedback, this year, ODHR committed to identifying additional and more comprehensive ways to share this important feedback with College leadership. This has included creating detailed summary reports where thematic information is shared and suggestions provided for actionable steps for how leaders can respond to concerns. If employees are reporting similar experiences and patterns persist, we take this information into account when considering how to best assist a department with addressing employee feedback. Additionally, various ODHR teams are meeting to discuss how we can be most effective in responding to feedback themes.
We believe that employees are our most critical resource in supporting the mission of the institution. Therefore, their feedback is invaluable as we seek to find more effective ways to enhance the employee and by extension, the student experience.
If you have additional questions regarding the employee exit questionnaire, or other ways to receive and respond to employee feedback, please contact ODHR at HR4U@valenciacollege.edu, or call the HR4U helpline at 407-582-HR4U (4748).
