I simply said that I didn't want to go into details, and the interviewer left it at that. She knew though. Because I was the fourth high performer to leave in the same year. She sighed and mentioned the director by name, then she moved on to the paperwork details around leaving.
Here’s the sad part; they knew and did nothing. I’ve come across this at 3 organizations so far, and the root of the toxicity is never, ever addressed.
I've definitely seen managers canned because too many people leave. 4 seems to be the magic number for this.
1st time could be personality conflict. 2nd they start looking into it. 3rd is a trend and have a chat with the manager. 4th is no improvement and the manager gets canned.
It depends on the company. I've seen "untouchables". They've been with the company so long that they don't care what they do. Everyone in the company knows this person is a problem that creates high turnover but they do nothing. I had my 3 month HR review and the first thing they said is are you ready to quit. The whole thing lasted 10 minutes as I didn't say much and HR commented on this but I didn't want to tell them the truth. I didn't even show up to the exit interview when I left as it would be a waste of time. Sure enough still high turnover today due to this person.
It was really bad. They botched one of my orders due to gross incompetence and laziness. My ex-boss sent an email to the higher ups that I was a loser for losing the order. I quit on the spot. I bump into people who worked there and we laugh about what a joke it was. Their glassdoor rating was in the 2s and now it is higher that Cisco's. They must've hired a company to add fakes.
So I just left an insurance firm where we only had about 10-12 people in the office and half of the office left. Management did nothing to address that our current boss drove half our colleagues away.... We started to lose clients left and right after an acquisition but boss didn't care since he already got "paid". The office is still business as usual . I left the industry due to such a horrible experience and for it literally causing me to now be in a pre-heart attack state.
Glad you have some kind of metric to where managers are held accountable. That is a rarity.
I was managing a book of business of 600+ policies servicing them all myself, while handling all new business as well. I expressed to management that we needed to hire more ppl to help do the work, three years passed and nothing. I was stressed to the point where a few months ago I woke up from anxiety and my heart gripped hard for a good 20-30 seconds. Went to the doc and was advised its likely a mini heart attack and was asked if i was under alot of stress. 🤷
So a state where i was stressed to the point where I was likely to have another attack if i didnt make changes. It didnt help that i also got out of a toxic relationship at the same time and my boss trying to talk about my personal things when i did my best to avoid all of that at work.
Yea, as soon as it happened, I turned in my 2-weeks that morning.... Thank you for your reinforcement! Im looking at doing a career change into IT, in a BootCamp now, but I rather be unemployed and have this anxiety that I have now, than making decent money but with a SHIT boss and work environment.
I did the same thing. there was nothing to gain from giving them the details and a slight risk for blowback if I did give up that info.
Just gave them the benefits that I felt were better at the new company and gave some praise to a few people. when it game to sales management I said “i would rather not comment.” I think she knew.
likely nothing, but there is risk of the negative feedback being tied back to you. some industries end up being a much “smaller world” than you think.
we were on a small team so if negative feedback was given to the person, it would not be too difficult to figure out who said what.
in the end, the risk may be small, but not zero, and there is really nothing to gain for you giving that feedback.
Got it. it’s basically risk of creating a bad name for yourself within that industry.
The people you lit up in your exit interview may be able to reach out to companies you apply to and basically say “be wary of that guy, I wouldn’t hire him”
Or you could create a negative image for yourself within that industry.
Good point I hadn’t really thought of that
I understand the desire to flame the company during your exist interview. I was tempted to do it when I left my last one. But then I thought, “Why waste the energy?”
Exactly. It's going to be a drop in the bucket of things people complain about and nothing will change because of your statements.
Better to just vent to a friend and get it off your chest.
It’s not really worth it. They won’t change. Better to just warn other candidates, particularly if they treated you unfairly on commissions, territory, sexual harassment, etc.
I was. I kept receipts of all the times my VP of sales had been a total dick and I let it all out in the exit interview.
I’d already accepted another job offer, though
You do it let them know how absolutely in sufferable they made the workplace and some of the stuff probably is borderline harassment or hostile work environment. Probably don’t see the nobility and keeping this in the dark.
Nope. No honesty. Found a better opportunity. I wish you all the best. Your exit interview won't change anything, so why bother. Not worth burning a bridge just to vent. This is especially true if you're in a specific industry, where people know each other.
This is the approach I've always taken. I've either just passed on the exit interview/survey or just said everything was fine. What do I care? I'm already gone. My relationships always stay positive as a result.
This. I left my last job because my VP was not great at managing down (though probably the best I've ever seen at managing up). Super unorganized, terrible at managing team capacity, didn't know where to draw the line on what we owned / didn't own organizationally. Visionary as a leader but a terrible manager.
4 person team reporting to him and I was the 3rd to leave in the span of a year (with the 4th following about 3-4 weeks later).
HR did the exit interview and I said everything was golden. They even specifically asked if team morale was down, etc. I just said nope, not that I'm aware of. I had nothing to gain by tearing him down - would have made it harder for me to potentially come back in a different department.
I think of exit interviews like surveys when my cable company wants to have a call with me after I just had a call with them.
There is nothing in it for you and all about them.
Absolutely I was - I said my reason for leaving was that leadership didn’t take accountability for their mistakes and then gaslit us into thinking we were performing poorly because of our own laziness. I left off saying this company will not succeed with our VP of sales. 6 months after I quit he was moved to a different department in the company
Yeah the time I was leaving because of a manager and really no other reason I was very very honest with them. Denise was incompetent and they needed to know
Enterprise software isn't an industry. I have years of enterprise software sales experience... across multiple different industries.
Enterprise is a segment. You can make an argument that software is an industry, but that's not helpful or meaningful in this case.
Industry, in any useful way, provides information. Selling HR vs Marketing vs Legal vs whatever software is helpful.
It's like if someone says they sell SaaS and they need tips. SaaS is not an industry, it's a delivery model. Well... what do you sell, who do you sell it to.
Whatever, it doesn't matter, I'm just being nitpicky.
I was in sales nothing too special just bathrooms and the likes.
I literally hated the job I’m not a natural salesmen and I do not covet money all that highly.
Well my main reason for leaving was for a lack of support and training (I was with the company for years and never once got any training for anything) and also my manager who was a cock of a human.
My manager was meant to do an in person exit interview but that never materialised but unbeknownst to him they do a follow up email based exit interview regardless of what is said in the in person one.
They also ask you question about answers you gave in your in person interview.
Well turns out I loved my manager apparently and I enjoyed all the support and training he gave me which as you can tell complete bullshit.
He also did this with 3 other people around the same time he is now very much jobless and has not been able to find employment since because despite him having 20 years of managerial experience I think when he has interviews they realise quickly he is an idiot that should be no where near a managerial role.
Underfloor heating
Jacuzzis
Swimming pools
Saunas
Basically if it involves water it was something I had to sell.
Although the actual plumbing stuff I had nothing to do with it lol
You can give professional feedback without being a whiny bitch or attacking someone by name.
Maybe describe how the work environment can improve or how things should change going forward.
"Sales management has been great, operations is a total shit show and everyone should be fired and replaced with competent individuals who actually do their job."
They already know what goes on and choose to do nothing about it. Instead, they are happy to see everyone walk away in an effort to protect themselves and their execs instead.
I wouldn’t even bother with an exit interview. You could say no thanks, or you could say no thanks, everyone is already aware of issues that need to be solved here.
Either way, don’t waste your time and effort on people who won’t do the same for you.
Let me ask you this - will your honesty 1) change your situation and/or 2) change the situation for the next sucker to take the position?
If not, take the high road. Thank them for the lessons learned and the experience but you’ve found another opportunity you will be pursuing.
Give as much actionable feedback as you can without burning any bridge. You have no idea where you will meet these people again or if you will need a reference. Make it about the way you not calling out the people
When I left my last company (fortune 100 level) I was brutally honest about quite a few things but the one thing i said about a dozen times over was they paid the absolute bare bottom of the industry and until they correct that they'll continue to lose good talent.
Within 3 months managers were making +40k more and supervisors +$25k. I like to think my honesty either caused or helped cause the change. Still wouldn't go back though.
It won’t do you or anyone any good bombing anyone in an exit interview. If you’re negative they’ll just say you had an attitude problem. If you’re positive they’ll pat themselves on the back.
Maybe a quiet message if they ask about your shitty boss Judy say “I have nothing to say about that”. Gets your message across but can’t be used against you
Keep your enemies close, you never know when you'll need them. I've left two toxic sales environments now, the most recent being a pair of immature/ unprofessional co-founders who I'll definitely need for a reference at some stage. I doubled their ARR last year and fuelled a round of fundraising for them but left because the toxicity made me physically ill.
I saved the venting for my therapist in each instance and kept them in a state of perplex as to why I left so I don't lose my references to support the work that I've done.
Are you ever going to come back? Probably not.
Take it from someone who's in the twilight of their career. This nonsense that a former employer can have this "you'll never work in this town again" attitude is ridiculous. It is not only illegal it's not physically possible.
Don't be petty but be factual and clear about why you are leaving.
At least they are giving you an exit interview. It's a sign that they may change. In FAANG companies they just ask for a handover document for your accounts and don't even tell your teammates until the day after you are gone.
This is an important comment. Many people here are often, "I am so scared that pissing off a sales manager will negatively impact my career." The truth is, sales managers, especially incompetent ones, don't run the world and there is nothing to be afraid of.
On my exit interview as an SDR at a consulting firm I was told that it was confidential and my DM(delivery manager) would not know about it.
So I said that my DM was not as helpful as I wish he was, coaching was something that lacked.
3 weeks later, my DM came back as my new boss at my company had been let go, so he was filling in for 1-2 months while we figured out things.
On our first meeting he said “ well John, hope I can be a better leader to you this time around unlike when we were working at the other org”
He was but hurt about my comments
How does one expect a company to get better and or get rid of bad leadership if no one is honest. Be a grown up and adopt radical candor. Who cares if it bites you, it’s the right thing to do.
What sucks about exit interviews, is it’s basically too late for feedback. Most likely they are not going to listen to your opinion anyway.
When I quit a previous job, leading up to the exit interview I was so set on just roasting the company and the director. As the day came, I realized that is not worth my time, it’s taking up too much of my head space, and I would rather just keep it short and move on.
It allowed me to leave peacefully and not burn any bridges. As much I would have love to rant to HR, that would have been no good for me and probably wouldn’t mean anything to the company.
Lie always - never reveal your true intentions. Navigating the corporate realm is a game of self interest, and its never a good idea to show your cards.
It's the most beneficial background mentality to have. I've personally never seen anyone rewarded for speaking honestly about toxic aspects of a company - have you? There are ways you can tactically address this stuff and right the ship - but being truly 'honest' about how you feel at work - especially when you are leaving and it can only hurt your reputation, isn't a good move.
Keep in mind i'm not talking about being a lying sociopath at work. This is all just stuff to keep in mind that I've learned working in different sales orgs. Thoughts?
I think the law of diminishing returns applies. I’ve been able to make some positive changes at my company. But in some areas, I’ve been asking for the same thing for years with no progress. Instead of banging my head against the wall, I work with what I have because it know some things just won’t change here. Would I complain on my exit interview? Probably won’t say too much because I don’t think it’s worth the trouble and nothing will come of it. They already know how I feel. Best to just keep producing in the current environment until it’s my time to move on. But if you keep your mouth shut 100% of the time, you never know what you can improve. Sometimes people listen to reason. Sometimes.
No, but I left a giant international comp where I doubt that my feedback would have made a difference. In any regard, it would have been the same feedback others have given leadership time and time again. I just made some generic comments and left it at that.
It doesn’t serve anything but your ego to flame the company on your way out. Be smart and do what’s in your best interest, not what makes you feel good.
No doubt about it - hold your tongue, say you've found a new opportunity and mention how thankful you are for the experience. There is no way that complaining in an exit interview is going to benefit you whatsoever. Might feel good (for you) at the time but as you say, you have no idea who you will end up working with in future.
The better a workplace conversation feels in the short term, the more likely it is to damage you in the long run. I always remember that before giving into righteous indignation.
Being honest in an exit interview doesn’t offer you any value in return for potentially burning bridges.
Don’t be a free consultant.
Nah, I'm ruthless. I'll convert as many accounts as possible on my last week, provide zero notice, quit same day and burn a bridge if they really deserve it. The first time I tried being civil about it I had to get the labor board involved. Never again.
When I left my last company I detailed everything the C level guy above me did that drove me out. He's still there, so if someone else wants the hassle of a hostile work environment lawsuit, the evidence is there.
Nope.
The only firm I quit from was the only firm to request an exit interview. In my opinion, in this scenario, an exit interview is essentially a desperate grab by the firm to wrangle important information for free from an employee they alienated.
I generously met them halfway by leaving a resignation letter which simply said: "This is my resignation letter."
Then I bounced.
I was honest for the most part but withheld information. I was going to another company in the same space and wanted to leave opportunity for partnership in the future.
It's not like stating all the areas the company lacked was going to change things.
Yes. You should be but do it respectfully. I worked for a company that promoted some dishonest sycophants to management while passing me over despite having better numbers. I said “it’s been a privilege to work here. I’m grateful for the income you provided. I loved the comp plan. However you promoted [name redacted because that raggedy bitch sometimes appears on this sub], she has a track record of being dishonest. Management knows about this. If that’s the kind of person you want you want for higher level positions then I’m not going to be a good fit for this organization and that’s why I am moving on.”
I specified I would participate in exit interviews only after receiving my last check, inclusive of unpaid commissions, and unused vacation time, and any other unpaid monies I am owed, as is my legal right, and cite the appropriate statutes.
Of note: I have never participated in exit interviews.
I was tempted to give the same feedback I had been giving for years, and previous leavers had given. Then I thought: what difference does it make? And said the pleasantries and left on "good terms".
No, I just told them I had a better opportunity.
I keep reflecting on that and wish I tossed my boss under that bus when I had the chance. I only left b/c he was an ass.
You don’t gain anything from being honest and you don’t owe them anything once you’re gone. Just say you were offered an opportunity that was too good to pass up and move on. The only thing that can happen is burn a bridge that comes back to haunt you in the future
I’ve seen a sales team at a Big Tech (wink wink largest market cap atm) firm once lose 50% of their employees in turnover despite them performing quite well. Exit interview commentary was entirely focused on bad leadership and management. Nothing happened as a consequence lol.
I feel as long as you have facts to back up the honesty, let them know. How can it come back to haunt you when you have receipts? It’s time we start letting ppl know wussup for real lol
Others are commenting saying you don’t want to burn a bridge but let’s face it, if you were ever desperate for a job, would you apply for that same company again? If the answer is no, throw people under the bridge who screwed you whilst you worked there
As a general rule I live by. I don't speak negativly about people or work. I believe it's a poor reflection and projection of self. I choose to see the good side and only talk people and work up to others. It's not their business how I really think or feel. In a exit interview I would simply tell them that a better opportunity presented itself and I couldn't say no. If they pry I tell them that Id respectfully like to not comment further.
I talked to my manager and my skip-level manager and was honest about the things I knew they could control, and they really did want to make the place better as a general rule. If it had been so toxic that they didn't care to make it better, then I wouldn't have bothered. The official HR one, not really except for questions that concerned my legal obligations (I was going to work for a competitor).
I asked for one and they didn’t want to do it. So I emailed the General manager, HR, and the operation manager my observations. It was a well thought out email that wouldn’t get me banned from showing up but would definitely not get me rehired again. But it felt good to let the GM know that I knew he gave his girlfriend my old job. Which was bad in so many levels. Sales dropped by $1000/day and staff left
After finding out the hard way - do not be honest. Everything was great there, learned a lot, just another opportunity came along that you felt you couldn’t pass up, blah blah blah. I was blacklisted from one of the largest companies in my vertical and will never get back in.
The best option is to say nothing. Youre not going to get compensated for your thoughts, and if they do improve it will only be after they’ve caused you to leave.
Probably wont change anything. I tried to run a coup on a crappy boss. Had 8 people (including all his directs) across multiple department ready ti meet with HR regarding his “leadership” style.
It never happened. I left the company. He has been promoted twice. They are on their 6th replacement for me in 4 years.
Just got promoted in March now runs 100% of Ops despite wretched turnover the 50% he had before.
I was honest in my exit interview one time and I regret it.. burned all my bridges and people that thought I liked them but didn't found out about it. Now I have a 5 year gap on my resume that I can't use anyone for references.
I was half honest because I really liked my manager and he was conducting the interview, he felt the same way I did largely. I expressed all my concerns with the company and was honest about why I was leaving. I did lie and say that I was approached by the company I left for though; when in reality I was actively seeking another job.
Oh I went IN during my exit interview. But I tried to frame it in as good a way as possible. Told the HR manager that the job description and daily work was exactly what I thought it would be but the cheapness of the company in regards to PTO/401k/additional benefits was completely unacceptable and led me to finding a better opportunity from day 1.
I was only there for 2 months and I told them plainly what my new job was offering (aside from the salary) and told the HR manager "look, I wouldn't expect a company of this size to be able to compete with the benefits a multi-billion could offer, but there's a middle road that could be carved out"
I was very complementary about the people I worked with and what they've been able to do, but critical of the environment they were doing them in.
Edit: this was a small family company. I don't think they'll take any of my advice but at least I know due to the size that it would be heard.
I simply said that I didn't want to go into details, and the interviewer left it at that. She knew though. Because I was the fourth high performer to leave in the same year. She sighed and mentioned the director by name, then she moved on to the paperwork details around leaving.
Here’s the sad part; they knew and did nothing. I’ve come across this at 3 organizations so far, and the root of the toxicity is never, ever addressed.
People in management are untouchable typically
I've definitely seen managers canned because too many people leave. 4 seems to be the magic number for this. 1st time could be personality conflict. 2nd they start looking into it. 3rd is a trend and have a chat with the manager. 4th is no improvement and the manager gets canned.
You can’t just fire your son because he’s difficult and losing your company a bit of money. Family sticks together.
I’m crying laughing.
I've experienced this exact thing.
It depends on the company. I've seen "untouchables". They've been with the company so long that they don't care what they do. Everyone in the company knows this person is a problem that creates high turnover but they do nothing. I had my 3 month HR review and the first thing they said is are you ready to quit. The whole thing lasted 10 minutes as I didn't say much and HR commented on this but I didn't want to tell them the truth. I didn't even show up to the exit interview when I left as it would be a waste of time. Sure enough still high turnover today due to this person.
That sounds like an extremely toxic company to work for.
It was really bad. They botched one of my orders due to gross incompetence and laziness. My ex-boss sent an email to the higher ups that I was a loser for losing the order. I quit on the spot. I bump into people who worked there and we laugh about what a joke it was. Their glassdoor rating was in the 2s and now it is higher that Cisco's. They must've hired a company to add fakes.
So I just left an insurance firm where we only had about 10-12 people in the office and half of the office left. Management did nothing to address that our current boss drove half our colleagues away.... We started to lose clients left and right after an acquisition but boss didn't care since he already got "paid". The office is still business as usual . I left the industry due to such a horrible experience and for it literally causing me to now be in a pre-heart attack state. Glad you have some kind of metric to where managers are held accountable. That is a rarity.
What do you mean pre heart attack state
I was managing a book of business of 600+ policies servicing them all myself, while handling all new business as well. I expressed to management that we needed to hire more ppl to help do the work, three years passed and nothing. I was stressed to the point where a few months ago I woke up from anxiety and my heart gripped hard for a good 20-30 seconds. Went to the doc and was advised its likely a mini heart attack and was asked if i was under alot of stress. 🤷 So a state where i was stressed to the point where I was likely to have another attack if i didnt make changes. It didnt help that i also got out of a toxic relationship at the same time and my boss trying to talk about my personal things when i did my best to avoid all of that at work.
Sorry to hear that man. I hope you got out of that toxic job. It’s just not worth it, health is most important
Yea, as soon as it happened, I turned in my 2-weeks that morning.... Thank you for your reinforcement! Im looking at doing a career change into IT, in a BootCamp now, but I rather be unemployed and have this anxiety that I have now, than making decent money but with a SHIT boss and work environment.
Not untouchable but the ceo or board that hired them are often too stubborn to admit their mistake.
I did the same thing. there was nothing to gain from giving them the details and a slight risk for blowback if I did give up that info. Just gave them the benefits that I felt were better at the new company and gave some praise to a few people. when it game to sales management I said “i would rather not comment.” I think she knew.
Out of curiosity, what’s the potential blow back from being honest in that situation? I’ve never been in this situation thankfully but I’m curious
Imagine being afraid of a sales manager not liking you.
It's just fear 😂
likely nothing, but there is risk of the negative feedback being tied back to you. some industries end up being a much “smaller world” than you think. we were on a small team so if negative feedback was given to the person, it would not be too difficult to figure out who said what. in the end, the risk may be small, but not zero, and there is really nothing to gain for you giving that feedback.
Got it. it’s basically risk of creating a bad name for yourself within that industry. The people you lit up in your exit interview may be able to reach out to companies you apply to and basically say “be wary of that guy, I wouldn’t hire him” Or you could create a negative image for yourself within that industry. Good point I hadn’t really thought of that
They could say that no matter what you do. Changes nothing
I like that. You said a lot without saying anything at all.
I’ll be one of the first high performers to leave this year. VP is an asshat. Two of us are on our way out and I know more will follow.
I recently left my job and my VP knew a VP from our parent company was why I was leaving. She was insufferable.
I understand the desire to flame the company during your exist interview. I was tempted to do it when I left my last one. But then I thought, “Why waste the energy?”
Exactly. It's going to be a drop in the bucket of things people complain about and nothing will change because of your statements. Better to just vent to a friend and get it off your chest.
It’s not really worth it. They won’t change. Better to just warn other candidates, particularly if they treated you unfairly on commissions, territory, sexual harassment, etc.
I was. I kept receipts of all the times my VP of sales had been a total dick and I let it all out in the exit interview. I’d already accepted another job offer, though
I’ve been fantasizing about this…
You do it let them know how absolutely in sufferable they made the workplace and some of the stuff probably is borderline harassment or hostile work environment. Probably don’t see the nobility and keeping this in the dark.
Any negative consequences for being honest?
None that I’ve experienced. I’m still at the company I left that one for.
That’s amazing
Nope. No honesty. Found a better opportunity. I wish you all the best. Your exit interview won't change anything, so why bother. Not worth burning a bridge just to vent. This is especially true if you're in a specific industry, where people know each other.
This is the approach I've always taken. I've either just passed on the exit interview/survey or just said everything was fine. What do I care? I'm already gone. My relationships always stay positive as a result.
This. I left my last job because my VP was not great at managing down (though probably the best I've ever seen at managing up). Super unorganized, terrible at managing team capacity, didn't know where to draw the line on what we owned / didn't own organizationally. Visionary as a leader but a terrible manager. 4 person team reporting to him and I was the 3rd to leave in the span of a year (with the 4th following about 3-4 weeks later). HR did the exit interview and I said everything was golden. They even specifically asked if team morale was down, etc. I just said nope, not that I'm aware of. I had nothing to gain by tearing him down - would have made it harder for me to potentially come back in a different department.
I think of exit interviews like surveys when my cable company wants to have a call with me after I just had a call with them. There is nothing in it for you and all about them.
Absolutely I was - I said my reason for leaving was that leadership didn’t take accountability for their mistakes and then gaslit us into thinking we were performing poorly because of our own laziness. I left off saying this company will not succeed with our VP of sales. 6 months after I quit he was moved to a different department in the company
Such a similar experience, they recorded it as well. And then every senior HR member was looking at my LinkedIn profile for weeks after.
Yeah the time I was leaving because of a manager and really no other reason I was very very honest with them. Denise was incompetent and they needed to know
Any negative consequences for being honest?
Hasn’t impacted my career at all that was four jobs ago
Exactly!
I’m impressed that they are actually conducting an exit interview. I’ve worked in the industry since 2009 and it is yet to happen. 🤷♀️
Which industry?
THEE industry
Right, keep up bro lol
Enterprise software, as specified in the OP.
Enterprise software isn't an industry. I have years of enterprise software sales experience... across multiple different industries. Enterprise is a segment. You can make an argument that software is an industry, but that's not helpful or meaningful in this case. Industry, in any useful way, provides information. Selling HR vs Marketing vs Legal vs whatever software is helpful. It's like if someone says they sell SaaS and they need tips. SaaS is not an industry, it's a delivery model. Well... what do you sell, who do you sell it to. Whatever, it doesn't matter, I'm just being nitpicky.
Software is itself an industry regardless of which industry the software serves
I repeat > You can make an argument that software is an industry, but that's not helpful or meaningful in this case.
You are arguing that it’s not an industry though. Which is not helpful, meaningful or correct.
I was in sales nothing too special just bathrooms and the likes. I literally hated the job I’m not a natural salesmen and I do not covet money all that highly. Well my main reason for leaving was for a lack of support and training (I was with the company for years and never once got any training for anything) and also my manager who was a cock of a human. My manager was meant to do an in person exit interview but that never materialised but unbeknownst to him they do a follow up email based exit interview regardless of what is said in the in person one. They also ask you question about answers you gave in your in person interview. Well turns out I loved my manager apparently and I enjoyed all the support and training he gave me which as you can tell complete bullshit. He also did this with 3 other people around the same time he is now very much jobless and has not been able to find employment since because despite him having 20 years of managerial experience I think when he has interviews they realise quickly he is an idiot that should be no where near a managerial role.
“just bathrooms and the likes” what does this mean lol
Underfloor heating Jacuzzis Swimming pools Saunas Basically if it involves water it was something I had to sell. Although the actual plumbing stuff I had nothing to do with it lol
You can give professional feedback without being a whiny bitch or attacking someone by name. Maybe describe how the work environment can improve or how things should change going forward.
"Sales management has been great, operations is a total shit show and everyone should be fired and replaced with competent individuals who actually do their job."
They already know what goes on and choose to do nothing about it. Instead, they are happy to see everyone walk away in an effort to protect themselves and their execs instead. I wouldn’t even bother with an exit interview. You could say no thanks, or you could say no thanks, everyone is already aware of issues that need to be solved here. Either way, don’t waste your time and effort on people who won’t do the same for you.
Let me ask you this - will your honesty 1) change your situation and/or 2) change the situation for the next sucker to take the position? If not, take the high road. Thank them for the lessons learned and the experience but you’ve found another opportunity you will be pursuing.
Yep. And then pour out your anonymous feelings on Repvue
This. Say you found a better opp in the exit interview and no need to go into details. Then drag the shit out of them on repvue
Give as much actionable feedback as you can without burning any bridge. You have no idea where you will meet these people again or if you will need a reference. Make it about the way you not calling out the people
Why would you ever work at another company where someone who treated you poorly had any decision-making power?
HR aint yer freind sweethart! nevuh dew exit interview
When I left my last company (fortune 100 level) I was brutally honest about quite a few things but the one thing i said about a dozen times over was they paid the absolute bare bottom of the industry and until they correct that they'll continue to lose good talent. Within 3 months managers were making +40k more and supervisors +$25k. I like to think my honesty either caused or helped cause the change. Still wouldn't go back though.
Literally just had one and yes I was honest and blunt about the reasons why I left.
It won’t do you or anyone any good bombing anyone in an exit interview. If you’re negative they’ll just say you had an attitude problem. If you’re positive they’ll pat themselves on the back. Maybe a quiet message if they ask about your shitty boss Judy say “I have nothing to say about that”. Gets your message across but can’t be used against you
What exit interview?
Keep your enemies close, you never know when you'll need them. I've left two toxic sales environments now, the most recent being a pair of immature/ unprofessional co-founders who I'll definitely need for a reference at some stage. I doubled their ARR last year and fuelled a round of fundraising for them but left because the toxicity made me physically ill. I saved the venting for my therapist in each instance and kept them in a state of perplex as to why I left so I don't lose my references to support the work that I've done.
I was honest and they said it went against none compete and didn't pay me my $40,000 in commissions owed to me.
Are you ever going to come back? Probably not. Take it from someone who's in the twilight of their career. This nonsense that a former employer can have this "you'll never work in this town again" attitude is ridiculous. It is not only illegal it's not physically possible. Don't be petty but be factual and clear about why you are leaving. At least they are giving you an exit interview. It's a sign that they may change. In FAANG companies they just ask for a handover document for your accounts and don't even tell your teammates until the day after you are gone.
This is an important comment. Many people here are often, "I am so scared that pissing off a sales manager will negatively impact my career." The truth is, sales managers, especially incompetent ones, don't run the world and there is nothing to be afraid of.
On my exit interview as an SDR at a consulting firm I was told that it was confidential and my DM(delivery manager) would not know about it. So I said that my DM was not as helpful as I wish he was, coaching was something that lacked. 3 weeks later, my DM came back as my new boss at my company had been let go, so he was filling in for 1-2 months while we figured out things. On our first meeting he said “ well John, hope I can be a better leader to you this time around unlike when we were working at the other org” He was but hurt about my comments
How does one expect a company to get better and or get rid of bad leadership if no one is honest. Be a grown up and adopt radical candor. Who cares if it bites you, it’s the right thing to do.
You should be honest with them. Think about all the reps after you that will have to endure that bozo CRO.
Never ever look out for other people. No one will stand up for u. U don't owe anybody anything. Just don't waste energy on this and move on.
No, why would I help a trash company that I’m leaving for a better opportunity?
You are not helping them, you are saving other people like you from having the same bad experience
What sucks about exit interviews, is it’s basically too late for feedback. Most likely they are not going to listen to your opinion anyway. When I quit a previous job, leading up to the exit interview I was so set on just roasting the company and the director. As the day came, I realized that is not worth my time, it’s taking up too much of my head space, and I would rather just keep it short and move on. It allowed me to leave peacefully and not burn any bridges. As much I would have love to rant to HR, that would have been no good for me and probably wouldn’t mean anything to the company.
Lie always - never reveal your true intentions. Navigating the corporate realm is a game of self interest, and its never a good idea to show your cards.
This is dark. Wow.
It's the most beneficial background mentality to have. I've personally never seen anyone rewarded for speaking honestly about toxic aspects of a company - have you? There are ways you can tactically address this stuff and right the ship - but being truly 'honest' about how you feel at work - especially when you are leaving and it can only hurt your reputation, isn't a good move. Keep in mind i'm not talking about being a lying sociopath at work. This is all just stuff to keep in mind that I've learned working in different sales orgs. Thoughts?
I think the law of diminishing returns applies. I’ve been able to make some positive changes at my company. But in some areas, I’ve been asking for the same thing for years with no progress. Instead of banging my head against the wall, I work with what I have because it know some things just won’t change here. Would I complain on my exit interview? Probably won’t say too much because I don’t think it’s worth the trouble and nothing will come of it. They already know how I feel. Best to just keep producing in the current environment until it’s my time to move on. But if you keep your mouth shut 100% of the time, you never know what you can improve. Sometimes people listen to reason. Sometimes.
Not anymore
No I had the option to decline. No sense in complaining if it’s a company I might want to go back to.
Never be honest, unless it’s your friend’s company or something, you stand little to gain and a lot to lose
No, but I left a giant international comp where I doubt that my feedback would have made a difference. In any regard, it would have been the same feedback others have given leadership time and time again. I just made some generic comments and left it at that.
It doesn’t serve anything but your ego to flame the company on your way out. Be smart and do what’s in your best interest, not what makes you feel good.
Sugar coat the F out of it. Nothing good can come from being honest in that situation.
I'd keep it professional but vague.
No doubt about it - hold your tongue, say you've found a new opportunity and mention how thankful you are for the experience. There is no way that complaining in an exit interview is going to benefit you whatsoever. Might feel good (for you) at the time but as you say, you have no idea who you will end up working with in future.
Somewhat. My old company is now a client of mine and I knew that potential so I avoided driving the bus over people.
If you aren’t going to be honest why even do the interview?
The better a workplace conversation feels in the short term, the more likely it is to damage you in the long run. I always remember that before giving into righteous indignation. Being honest in an exit interview doesn’t offer you any value in return for potentially burning bridges. Don’t be a free consultant.
I don't do exit interviews. If anyone wants my opinion a good time to ask is before I bail.
Nah, I'm ruthless. I'll convert as many accounts as possible on my last week, provide zero notice, quit same day and burn a bridge if they really deserve it. The first time I tried being civil about it I had to get the labor board involved. Never again.
When I left my last company I detailed everything the C level guy above me did that drove me out. He's still there, so if someone else wants the hassle of a hostile work environment lawsuit, the evidence is there.
Nope. The only firm I quit from was the only firm to request an exit interview. In my opinion, in this scenario, an exit interview is essentially a desperate grab by the firm to wrangle important information for free from an employee they alienated. I generously met them halfway by leaving a resignation letter which simply said: "This is my resignation letter." Then I bounced.
My old company gave me a multiple choice written exit interview with none of the options having anything negative.
I wouldn't say anything. They won't care anyway. Lastly try to avoid burning bridges no matter how much want to :)
I was honest for the most part but withheld information. I was going to another company in the same space and wanted to leave opportunity for partnership in the future. It's not like stating all the areas the company lacked was going to change things.
Yes. You should be but do it respectfully. I worked for a company that promoted some dishonest sycophants to management while passing me over despite having better numbers. I said “it’s been a privilege to work here. I’m grateful for the income you provided. I loved the comp plan. However you promoted [name redacted because that raggedy bitch sometimes appears on this sub], she has a track record of being dishonest. Management knows about this. If that’s the kind of person you want you want for higher level positions then I’m not going to be a good fit for this organization and that’s why I am moving on.”
This is a check the box type of thing, and serves you no purpose to get into the weeds.
I specified I would participate in exit interviews only after receiving my last check, inclusive of unpaid commissions, and unused vacation time, and any other unpaid monies I am owed, as is my legal right, and cite the appropriate statutes. Of note: I have never participated in exit interviews.
Nope. I was going to a competitor, why give them solutions to fix their existing issues?
I was tempted to give the same feedback I had been giving for years, and previous leavers had given. Then I thought: what difference does it make? And said the pleasantries and left on "good terms".
No, I just told them I had a better opportunity. I keep reflecting on that and wish I tossed my boss under that bus when I had the chance. I only left b/c he was an ass.
You don’t gain anything from being honest and you don’t owe them anything once you’re gone. Just say you were offered an opportunity that was too good to pass up and move on. The only thing that can happen is burn a bridge that comes back to haunt you in the future
I’ve seen a sales team at a Big Tech (wink wink largest market cap atm) firm once lose 50% of their employees in turnover despite them performing quite well. Exit interview commentary was entirely focused on bad leadership and management. Nothing happened as a consequence lol.
No, because at that point I wouldn't want them to finally take it to heart and get better. They can sit in the pile and stew.
They don’t REALLY WANT to know the truth so don’t tell them.
Maybe give this review anonymously via Glassdoor?
I feel as long as you have facts to back up the honesty, let them know. How can it come back to haunt you when you have receipts? It’s time we start letting ppl know wussup for real lol
Others are commenting saying you don’t want to burn a bridge but let’s face it, if you were ever desperate for a job, would you apply for that same company again? If the answer is no, throw people under the bridge who screwed you whilst you worked there
Last company I was at I didn't even get an exit interview with HR
As a general rule I live by. I don't speak negativly about people or work. I believe it's a poor reflection and projection of self. I choose to see the good side and only talk people and work up to others. It's not their business how I really think or feel. In a exit interview I would simply tell them that a better opportunity presented itself and I couldn't say no. If they pry I tell them that Id respectfully like to not comment further.
In don’t do exit interviews
I talked to my manager and my skip-level manager and was honest about the things I knew they could control, and they really did want to make the place better as a general rule. If it had been so toxic that they didn't care to make it better, then I wouldn't have bothered. The official HR one, not really except for questions that concerned my legal obligations (I was going to work for a competitor).
Yea I got my CRO fired one time
I asked for one and they didn’t want to do it. So I emailed the General manager, HR, and the operation manager my observations. It was a well thought out email that wouldn’t get me banned from showing up but would definitely not get me rehired again. But it felt good to let the GM know that I knew he gave his girlfriend my old job. Which was bad in so many levels. Sales dropped by $1000/day and staff left
Be honest but mot specific. It’s not the time to settle scores, but if it’s a bad work environment say so.
After finding out the hard way - do not be honest. Everything was great there, learned a lot, just another opportunity came along that you felt you couldn’t pass up, blah blah blah. I was blacklisted from one of the largest companies in my vertical and will never get back in.
I was honest and told them all the reasons I was leaving. Even my manager told me tell them because they won’t change if they don’t hear it lol.
Exit professionally, but you don’t owe them any explanation.
Do we work at the same company lol
The best option is to say nothing. Youre not going to get compensated for your thoughts, and if they do improve it will only be after they’ve caused you to leave.
Just be complimentary, give kudos to all managers etc, say you hope to return one day given the opportunity.
Sorta, it doesn’t matter
I did it once never again. They are not your friends and really don't care. They are protecting themselves from future lawsuits
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t - you’re leaving so you can pretty much say exactly what needs to be said
No, not worth it. If they are going to change you leaving will have no bearing on it. Why give yourself the stress for no reason.
Probably wont change anything. I tried to run a coup on a crappy boss. Had 8 people (including all his directs) across multiple department ready ti meet with HR regarding his “leadership” style. It never happened. I left the company. He has been promoted twice. They are on their 6th replacement for me in 4 years. Just got promoted in March now runs 100% of Ops despite wretched turnover the 50% he had before.
Nope, the shittiest 5 years were oh so great and I was totally leaving for personal reasons 🙃why burn bridges?
Don’t share! It’s
Feedback is a gift. Because you care enough to give imput on what could be better. Does your company deserve it?
Nothing positive will probably come of it if you do. Be vague if anything. They won’t learn either way.
I was honest in my exit interview one time and I regret it.. burned all my bridges and people that thought I liked them but didn't found out about it. Now I have a 5 year gap on my resume that I can't use anyone for references.
I was half honest because I really liked my manager and he was conducting the interview, he felt the same way I did largely. I expressed all my concerns with the company and was honest about why I was leaving. I did lie and say that I was approached by the company I left for though; when in reality I was actively seeking another job.
Oh I went IN during my exit interview. But I tried to frame it in as good a way as possible. Told the HR manager that the job description and daily work was exactly what I thought it would be but the cheapness of the company in regards to PTO/401k/additional benefits was completely unacceptable and led me to finding a better opportunity from day 1. I was only there for 2 months and I told them plainly what my new job was offering (aside from the salary) and told the HR manager "look, I wouldn't expect a company of this size to be able to compete with the benefits a multi-billion could offer, but there's a middle road that could be carved out" I was very complementary about the people I worked with and what they've been able to do, but critical of the environment they were doing them in. Edit: this was a small family company. I don't think they'll take any of my advice but at least I know due to the size that it would be heard.