TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Department Order establishes an Employee Exit Interview and Exit Survey process to identify reasons for which employees voluntarily resign. The Employee Exit Interview shall be utilized to determine if there are management actions which may be taken to encourage employees to remain with the Department. Both instruments shall be used to provide data to identify the most common reasons employees voluntarily separate. The information obtained may then be used in developing methods to reduce staff turnover in the future and in planning and implementing future programs or systems that will address common concerns of employees.

The Human Services Bureau Administrator is responsible for oversight of the Employee Exit Interview and Exit Survey Process to include:

• Development, evaluation and recommendation for revision of the Employee Exit Interview and Exit Survey Process.

• Evaluation of data and development of required reports.

The Deputy Director, Division Directors, Regional Operations Directors, Wardens, Deputy Wardens, and Administrators shall be responsible for ensuring Employee Exit Interviews and Exit Surveys are:

• Conducted with employees who voluntarily resign, ensuring confidentiality.

• Used as a tool to attempt to retain staff who have indicated their intention to resign.

• Used to address issues/problems identified by staff, with the intent of resolving the issues/problems in a manner which will result in the retention of staff in the future.

This Department Order applies only to employees who voluntarily resign. It does not apply to employees who retire, are dismissed, or who resign in lieu of dismissal.

516.01 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

1.1 Supervisors shall notify their Personnel Liaison within 24 hours of receipt of an employee's resignation.

1.2 The Personnel Liaison shall:

1.2.1 Notify the appropriate Division Director, Regional Operations Director, Warden, Deputy Warden, or Administrator of an employee's resignation within 24 hours of receipt of notification from the supervisor.

1.2.2 Accept all Exit Surveys, Form 516-1, maintaining confidentiality by ensuring that the employee has sealed the survey envelope.

1.2.3 Maintain a Monthly Staff Turnover Report, Form 516-2, accounting for all employees who separate for any reason, indicating their exit category code.

1.2.4 Forward the report and completed Exit Surveys to Personnel Administrative Services by the fifth work day of each month.

1.2.5 Contact Personnel Administrative Services if they have any questions concerning the Exit Survey Process.

1.3 Upon receiving the Exit Surveys the Personnel Administrative Services staff shall:

1.3.1 Enter the information from the Exit Surveys into the appropriate computer database.

1.3.2 Forward all Exit Surveys and a copy of the Exit Survey database to the Research Unit monthly.

1.4 Division Directors, Wardens, Deputy Wardens, and Administrators shall:

1.4.1 Conduct an Employee Exit Interview with all employees resigning in accordance with the applicability statement of this Department Order within three days of receipt of notification of the employee's resignation from their Personnel Liaison using the Employee Exit Interview, Form 516-3.

1.4.1.1 Division Directors, Wardens, Deputy Wardens, and Administrators may delegate the Employee Exit Interview Process to the next lower supervisory level; however the resigning employee's immediate supervisor shall not conduct the Employee Exit Interview.

1.4.1.2 If the resigning employee held the position of Deputy Director, Division Director or Warden, the Director or designee shall conduct the Employee Exit Interview.

1.5 All completed Employee Exit Interviews shall be forwarded to the Research Unit, regardless of the employee's decision to retain employment or resign.

1.6 The Research Unit staff shall:

1.6.1 Analyze data from the Employee Exit Interviews and Exit Surveys for statistical reporting and produce reports quarterly and annually.

1.6.2 If significant trends are identified concerning the reason(s) why employees are resigning, the Division Director for Support Services or designee shall be notified.

1.1 The employee exit interviewer shall document the employee's responses, all action(s) taken to resolve any issue(s) to retain the employee and the personnel contacted to solve these issue(s) on the Employee Exit Interview form.

1.2 The following issues, at a minimum, shall be discussed during the Employee Exit Interview:

1.2.1 The specific problem(s)/reason(s) for the employee's resignation.

1.2.2 The specific method(s) attempted to resolve any problem(s)/issue(s) identified as the reason(s) for leaving the Department.

1.2.3 The specific measures which would influence the employee to remain in his/her current position.

1.2.4 The specific problem(s)/issue(s) as a minimum that would have to be resolved to the employee's satisfaction for him/her to continue employment with the Department.

1.2.5 The possibility of withdrawing their resignation while issue(s)/problem(s) are being addressed.

1.2.5.1 Meeting time constraints and other conditions for the withdrawal of an employee's resignation shall be in accordance with Department Order #508, Employee Discipline.

1.3 Within three work days of the conclusion of the Employee Exit Interview the Division Director, Warden, Deputy Warden, Administrator or designee shall provide a written response to the employee as follows:

1.3.1 The response shall be prepared on standard Department stationary, in memo format.

1.3.2 The response shall address the specific results of their action(s) taken to resolve the issue(s)/problem(s) and options to retain the employee such as:

1.3.2.1 Adjusted or flexible work scheduling.

1.3.2.2 Rotation of staff within the same institution or unit in accordance with Department Order #512, Employee Assignments Work Hours, Compensation and Leave.

1.3.2.3 Reassigning supervision to a different supervisor.

1.3.2.4 Utilization of Department authorized counseling in accordance with Department Order #505, Employee Benefits.

1.3.2.5 Use of accrued leave or compensatory hours.

1.4 Division Directors, Wardens, Deputy Wardens, Administrators or designee should extend a letter of opportunity to reapply for employment with the Department to staff who resign due to ancillary conditions other than problems concerning the Department:

1.4.1 Married to a military member, and they are relocating out of state.

1.4.2 Devote full time to the care of a family member, or attend school, etc.

1.5 If the employee determines at the conclusion of the interview process that he/she wishes to continue with the resignation process, the interviewer shall give the employee an Exit Survey form and envelope to use in returning the completed survey to their Personnel Liaison. The employee shall not complete the form during the Employee Exit Interview.

1.1 The Exit Survey form may be completed anonymously and shall be processed as follows:

1.1.1 The employee shall complete the Exit Survey on their own, away from supervisory influence.

1.1.2 The employee is not required to provide their name or Employee Identification Number on the form.

1.1.3 The completed Exit Survey shall be considered a confidential document.

1.1.4 The employee shall enclose the survey in the envelope provided by the interviewer in section 516.02, 1.5. The envelope shall be sealed by the employee and forwarded to their Personnel Liaison by the close of business on their last workday.

1.2 Employees who meet applicability standards, but who were otherwise unable to be given the survey prior to leaving employment with the Department shall:

1.2.1 Be mailed an Exit Survey, including a self-addressed, postage paid return envelope to the employee's address of record by their Personnel Liaison.

1.2.2 Include a cover letter with the Exit Survey explaining the survey completion process. See Attachment A.

1.1 Responses to surveys shall be confidential to the extent that the information shall not be included in the employee's personnel file and employee names shall not be used in summary reports.

1.2 Staff who have a valid need to know shall have access to the information on Exit Surveys. Some confidentiality may be breached in the event the Department is required to conduct an investigation.

Dora Schriro

Director

Attachment A - Letter Form for Mailing an Exit Survey to the Employee

516-1, Exit Survey

516-2, Monthly Staff Turnover Report

516-3, Employee Exit Interview

Dear (To the employee who resigned)

We noted that you separated from employment with the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) prior to participating in the Department's Exit Survey process. Exit Surveys may be completed anonymously and are provided to employees voluntarily leaving the Department in an effort to gather data, to identify reasons for separation, for use in reducing turnover and in planning and implementing future programs or systems that will address common concerns of employees.

As such, we are requesting that you take a few minutes of your time to complete the enclosed Exit Survey. This survey is confidential, as is stated at the bottom of the document, and will be used to help the Department identify reasons for employee turnover. We appreciate your taking the time to complete the survey and request your candid and honest response to all questions. Please return the survey within 10 days in the self addressed, stamped envelope enclosed.

Again, we appreciate your time and effort in completing this survey and wish you well in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Division Director or Unit Administrator

Enclosures

(MARCH 13, 2006)