The bottom line is, you never know.You can be denied a reference or unnecessarily complicate the paperwork related to your stock options and pension plan.Or you could miss a chance to turn a former employer into a client.Your columnist, a guest Bartleby, has no immediate plans to leave her current job.But if she ever did, and was asked to participate in an exit interview, she would agree to do so―and would advise you to do the same.As in any break-up, the one with an employer involves dealing with elusive concepts such as decorum (“It’s not you, it’s me”) or closure (“Thank you for everything”).It is also transactional.As such, it pays not to be too candid.Whether the process happens over the phone, on Zoom, in person or in an online form, refrain from speaking your mind too freely.It is better to be excited about your new chapter than to unleash vitriol on colleagues who were unkind or censorious over the years.Being too diplomatic is safer, unless it devolves into insincere platitudes.“This place is toxic” is bad; “the thing I admire about the leadership team is their long-term vision” may be worse.To strike the right balance it is useful to think of the exit interview as a performance appraisal in reverse.Outlining what you enjoyed most about the place (the pay, the camaraderie or the coffee) is a good place to start.Explaining what drew you to another employer can be particularly instructive.
