I’ve seen plenty of UAE companies do exit interviews, but not many turn them into something useful. It’s a shame because there’s so much they could learn to stop more people from walking out the door.

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Why Regular Exit Interviews Don’t Cut It

The usual way these talks happen has some big problems:

• Bad Timing: They’re done after someone’s already decided to leave.
• No Trust: People hold back because they don’t want to mess up future references.
• All Over the Place: Every manager does it differently, so the info’s a mess.
• Nothing Happens: Whatever’s said just sits there, not fixing anything.

Basically, they gather some notes but don’t get much out of it.

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The Real Story Behind Why People Leave

I’ve looked at heaps of exit interviews from UAE businesses, and here’s the kicker: what people tell their boss about why they’re leaving isn’t what they tell their next job about why they took it.

The truth usually comes down to:

• Leaders Who Dropped the Ball: Problems with management that never got sorted.
• No Room to Grow: They couldn’t see a way up, and no one told them otherwise.
• Too Much Work: The load got heavy, and no one noticed.
• Not Fitting In: The company vibe didn’t match what they wanted.

You don’t catch that stuff if you’re only asking about pay or perks.

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A Better Way to Handle Exit Talks

Some UAE companies I’ve worked with are switching things up, and it’s paying off:

1. Talk Sooner and More Often
   
   • They do “stay chats” to catch issues while people might still stick around.
   • Quick surveys spot trouble before it’s too late.
   • They check in with ex-employees later for a clearer take.
2. Make It Safe to Speak
   
   • Someone outside the company runs the talk so people open up.
   • They mix all the feedback together so no one’s singled out.
   • Showing they’ve acted on past input builds trust.
3. Get Consistent and Dig Deeper
   
   • They ask the same key questions every time to spot patterns.
   • They dig into what’s really going on, not just the surface stuff.
   • They compare notes across teams and with other companies.
   • They track if things are getting better or worse.
4. Actually Do Something
   
   • The top brass take charge of fixing big problems.
   • They tell everyone what’s changing because of the feedback.
   • They loop back to current staff and even ex-employees.
   • They measure if it’s helping keep people.
     
     

How It’s Working in the UAE

Here’s what I’ve seen happen:

• Tech Company in Dubai
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  They found out 68% of their best tech folks left because they weren’t getting to play with new tools, even though the pay was solid.
  What they did:
  
  • Started quarterly tech deep-dive sessions.
  • Gave people time to tinker with new ideas.
  • Set up clear paths for tech careers.
  • Mixed up teams to work on cutting-edge stuff.
    Outcome: 34% fewer tech people left in a year.
• Big Bank Example
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  They noticed mid-level women were leaving way more than men—2.8 times as much—mostly because no one was backing them to move up.
  What they did:
  
  • Set up a mentorship push for women.
  • Gave them chances to shine in front of the right people.
  • Made managers accountable for fair growth.
  • Added flexibility for different life stages.
    Outcome: The gender gap in who stayed evened out in 18 months, and they’ve got 22% more women in leadership now.
    
    

Five Steps to Make Your Exits Count

Here’s what I’d suggest from what’s worked:

1. Look at What You’re Doing Now
   Check how many people bother with exit talks, if they’re saying anything real, if you can use the info, and if it’s leading anywhere. That’s your starting point.
2. Ask the Right Stuff Every Time
   Make a plan that figures out why people leave—not just what tipped them over, but the deeper reasons. Get numbers and stories, and look at trends across teams or groups.
3. Bring Everyone In
   Get the bosses, team leads, hiring folks, and employee experience people together regularly to go over what you’re hearing.
4. Show You’re Listening
   Pick the big issues to tackle, put someone in charge of fixing them, tell people what’s happening because of their input, and see if it’s working.
5. Stay Connected
   Keep in touch with ex-employees, ask new hires what pulled them in, chat with companies they go to, and leave the door open for good ones to come back.
   
   

Why This Matters Big-Time

Companies that crack this don’t just lose fewer people—they get better at:

• Keeping Folks: Fixing what’s pushing people out.
• Hiring Smarter: Knowing what really draws talent in.
• Saving Cash: Less turnover means less scrambling.
• Building a Better Place: Showing they care what people think.

When you do it right, these talks stop being an HR checkbox and start helping the whole business figure out what’s what.

Do you really know why your people are leaving? I’d be up for talking about how to turn your exit process into something that actually helps.

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