Exit interviews : strategic tool or deceptive process?

Over the years many human resource practitioners and researchers have placed great emphasis on trying to understand what causes a seemingly contented employee to voluntarily hand in their resignation (Brotherton, 1996; Johns and Johnson, 2005). In an effort to understand the ills that brought about such an occurrence many human resource practitioners and researchers have drawn on exit interviews due to a belief that an exit interview can help uncover possible reasons for voluntary employee turnover and that the information gathered from the interviews can help identify ways of improving firm performance. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the exit interview process adopted by a large, professional publishing organisation that has business operations within five countries throughout the Asia Pacific region. By investigating the exit interview process, at the case organisation, it is anticipated that the paper will be able to shed light on whether the exit interview process is a strategic tool that can be used for reducing employee turnover or if it is merely a deceptive process.