The exit interview in Pakistan's IT and banking industries: Mere formality or catalyst for change?

Human resource professionals have long used exit interviews to help track employee turnover trends. These conversations between departing employees and one or more company representatives, however, can also serve as a window onto opportunities to improve organizational policies and performance. A study of the experiences of a sampling of banking and information technology professionals in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighted the impact of such factors as mode and timing on the effectiveness of the exit interview process and led to the formation of a model of its key elements. Recommendations for optimizing the value of an organization's exit interviews include strict enforcement of confidentiality, careful composition of questions to address issues of primary concern, and concerted steps to translate relevant feedback into well‐communicated practices.