Ask Ash

Dear Ash,

I have handed in my notice at my current job in a medium sized firm. I’m moving to a better paid job with more responsibility and money and I couldn’t be happier. My dilemma is whether I should be truly honest about my experiences at my current firm when I have my exit interview. My time at the firm has not always been very pleasant; in particular my boss has, in the past, been quite nasty and indeed took great pleasure in poking fun at me in front of other colleagues as well as clients. I feel I should let the HR department know what my boss is really like, but I am not sure whether this may have future repercussions as the legal world is relatively small.

ASH replies:

The purpose of an exit interview is effectively to allow a company to know why its employees are choosing to leave and to try to improve on working conditions for the future in order to encourage employee retention. That is the theory anyway. In reality many employees feel reluctant about openly speaking about their experiences as there is a sense of fear about whether it will be used against them in future, therefore the effectiveness of such interviews is questionable.

I personally believe that it is important to be honest about your experiences. However, although you should relay how you felt about being treated in a particular manner and indeed give examples, it is important to still retain a certain degree of decorum and professionalism – i.e. do not be tempted to call your boss any names during the conversation!

Also bear in mind, being honest about your experiences does not mean that you have to merely focus upon the negatives: also speak about the good times you had at the firm. It is important that you provide a balanced picture about your experiences as this will give more credence to what you are saying and will demonstrate to the listener that you are not just a disgruntled employee with a chip on their shoulder.

• Please note that letters to Ash are not received at the Law Society of Scotland. The Society offers a support service for trainees through its Education and Training Department. For one-to-one advice contact Education and Training Manager Katie Meanley on 0131 476 8105/8200, or KatieMeanley@lawscot.org.uk