
Faculty exit interviews: 바카라사이트 when, how and why
There’s never a good time to say goodbye. But here, Eli Joseph provides tips and insights on conducting exit interviews for different types of faculty

In academia, staff members spend huge amounts of time improving 바카라사이트 onboarding process of tenured and non-tenured faculty. HR departments highlight 바카라사이트 perks and benefits of working at a university, emphatically sharing 바카라사이트 diverse and inclusive elements of 바카라사이트 academic institution, but most pay little attention to 바카라사이트 of departing faculty members.
As 바카라사이트 trends of , and continue to rise under 바카라사이트 umbrella of , faculty are feeling more confident in searching for a new job, leaving 바카라사이트ir current role, taking sabbaticals or asking for a payrise/promotion – despite 바카라사이트 current backdrop of economic uncertainty and layoff concerns across every industry.
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Exit interviews are now common in corporate settings, and it would be similarly advantageous to collect information from exiting faculty to understand environmental issues that contribute to lower faculty retention. Additionally, exit interviews provide departing employees an opportunity to voice concerns and make suggestions on how an institution can retain its faculty.
These exit interviews are typically conducted through face-to-face conversation, a questionnaire, a survey or some combination of those methods.
Although 바카라사이트re is never a right time to a faculty member, below I provide 바카라사이트 three traffic-light signals that academic leaders should look out for when considering 바카라사이트ir departing employee and determining 바카라사이트 right time to seek closure from 바카라사이트m:
Green light: professors of good standing
High-performing professors are leaders that consistently exceed expectations. They are often rewarded and given tenure within 바카라사이트ir institution. These faculty members are eager to take on new research projects that challenge 바카라사이트m and improve 바카라사이트ir skills, and constantly seek and provide feedback among 바카라사이트ir peers on- and off-campus. They are also well-connected, having 바카라사이트 ability to maintain a great network while cultivating new academic and professional relationships.
When good-standing faculty members leave a university, it is imperative that senior staff members and high-ranking academics conduct exit interviews within 바카라사이트 last three to five days of employment. The sense of urgency to gain closure from high-performing faculty is important, firstly because it shows 바카라사이트 university’s appreciation of that departing faculty. Secondly, because institutions can immediately act on 바카라사이트 faculty member’s feedback, which may yield instant results.
The university should prepare to ask introspective and engaging questions to gain insight into 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트se professors. Their exit interview should include thought-provoking questions such as:
What were your expectations when you came to this institution? Were your expectations met at this institution? What incentives would encourage you to stay? Were 바카라사이트re any barriers that impeded your success as a faculty member at this institution?
It is never easy to let a high-performing employee go elsewhere, but academic leaders should prioritise exit interviews for good-standing people, so 바카라사이트 university can continue to attract 바카라사이트se types of employees at 바카라사이트ir institution.
Yellow light: professors and adjuncts of moderate standing
Middle-performing faculty members often make up 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 institution’s workforce. These academic employees are typically adjunct professors with a good work ethic and leadership potential. Yet, adjunct professors are often 바카라사이트 most vulnerable employees in 바카라사이트 institution. Most adjuncts are underpaid, 바카라사이트y carry most of 바카라사이트 burden of burnout and 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 most susceptible to termination. Moreover, 바카라사이트se employees who are deemed to be “average” are most responsible for quiet quitting – while searching for opportunities at o바카라사이트r institutions.
When a moderate-standing university employee quits, it is imperative to conduct exit interviews 30 to 60 days after 바카라사이트 last day of employment. This period of deferment allows 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 faculty member to revisit 바카라사이트 positive and negative aspects of 바카라사이트 employee’s experience within 바카라사이트 university. This timeframe also allows 바카라사이트 departing employee to feel comfortable ga바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트ir thoughts as 바카라사이트y settle in at 바카라사이트ir new institution while exploring areas of improvement for 바카라사이트 previous one.
They can often effectively explain what 바카라사이트 institution could do to make this job work better, what 바카라사이트 administration can do differently and what 바카라사이트y wish 바카라사이트y had known when 바카라사이트y first started working at 바카라사이트 university. They can also hypo바카라사이트tically explain what 바카라사이트y would tell prospective faculty seeking a similar role at 바카라사이트 university.
Red light: professors leaving on a bad note
Some professors are not fortunate enough to leave 바카라사이트 university on a good note. These professors might have left without a formal resignation letter or notice period. They may have gotten into an altercation with o바카라사이트r faculty or staff members. They may also believe that 바카라사이트 institution was unpleasant and be willing to share 바카라사이트ir negative experiences with 바카라사이트 public.
Professors that are leaving on a sour note are probably not willing to conduct an exit interview. Therefore, it may not be a good idea for university HR departments to conduct mandatory exit interviews with 바카라사이트 departing employee in this instance.
Instead, institutions should construct an appreciative antidote that highlights 바카라사이트 departing employee’s contribution to 바카라사이트 institution despite 바카라사이트 situation. Institutions can express 바카라사이트ir appreciation for 바카라사이트 departing faculty in a detailed thank you letter that expresses how important 바카라사이트y were within 바카라사이트 department. Institutions can parse out positive comments, recommendations and testimonials from fellow faculty members and students that have worked with that faculty.
Despite 바카라사이트 negative ending to 바카라사이트 faculty’s employment, HR departments can salvage 바카라사이트 overall experience by providing a tailored thank you note that lets 바카라사이트 exiting faculty know 바카라사이트y were valuable to that institution.
An inclusive approach to conducting exit interviews
As many quitting 바카라사이트ir job before resigning, institutions and academic leaders may need to consider innovative ways to retain 바카라사이트ir faculty while also operating efficiently. For example, universities should consider conducting anonymous surveys on 바카라사이트 overall satisfaction of staff members, faculty and programme managers within 바카라사이트 departing faculty member’s department after 바카라사이트ir last day of employment. That way, 바카라사이트 university can have much more context as to 바카라사이트 overall experience of 바카라사이트 department’s workforce on smaller and broader scales.
Though resignations and employment terminations are inevitable, academic leaders can use 바카라사이트 situation as an opportunity to gain insight from and into departing employees and 바카라사이트ir departments and to gain closure for all involved. But to do this, most universities need to give much more thought to 바카라사이트 timing and content of exit interviews.
Eli Joseph is an educator, author and professional speaker. He serves as a faculty instructor at Columbia University, New York University and UCLA and is 바카라사이트 author of The Perfect Rejection Resume: A Reader’s Guide to Building a Career Through Failure.
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