Q: How should we use the data we’ve collected from exit surveys?
A: Data from exit surveys can open the door to a wealth of information. Not only can it provide an indication of why employees leave the district, it can prompt discussions with principals and other supervisors to find targeted solutions to turnover problems and employee relations issues.
One of the primary uses for exit survey data is to gather the facts needed to manage teacher turnover more effectively. That means asking questions to determine if teachers are leaving to go to a competitor district, and if so, what about that district attracted the teacher. The information can also provide the district with insight and material for recruiting. For example, if 92 percent of the exiting teachers would recommend working in your district, that’s worth advertising.
You can make the most of exit data by breaking it down by work location or job type to get a better idea of whether the opinions are expressed by a single group or shared districtwide. Asking detailed questions about supervisor behavior or working conditions can broaden your understanding of the data.
Making sense of employee opinion data is not an exact science, and there are no absolute answers. It’s important to keep in mind that the responses represent a moment in time, and the results can be influenced by events that are unique to that time. Changing trends may be a reflection of employees having difficulty dealing with changes in leadership or working conditions.
Most important of all is to just use the data. Collecting information that is never reviewed and analyzed has no value to the district. Use the information to make the district better, whether that means taking action where action is warranted or using the facts to develop a targeted recruiting strategy.
More information about collecting exit data including a sample exit survey is available in the HR Library (member login required) 
. HR Services also conducts online exit surveys for districts. For more information, call 800-580-7782.
