I know it's generally a positive thing if skip level manager (who also happens to be VP in my case) wants to meet after you turn in your 2 week notice. However my main concern is that I'm leaving because my manager was not very effective, and there were rampant morale issues under my manager. There have been several exits in recent past, and I'm just another in that list. I don't want to burn bridges with my manager by talking about the real reason to my skip. At the same time, I want to keep my doors open to returning back in future, perhaps reporting to another manager. Additionally, HR has also reached out to me to conduct an exit interview. I don't believe my manager is being targeted in this questioning though since he has been good at managing up, any despite the number of exits, leadership seems to have confidence in him. What is the best way to handle this situation. Should I just thank him for his support and tell him that it was a career decision, or should I hint towards potential morale issues with my ineffective (IMO) manager?
You don’t want to work with your current manager in the future, right? I don’t see any way you are burning bridge
It's correct, but valley is a small place, and I've seen people collect feedback from previous manager if they know them. My manager has a lot of connections in the valley as he has worked with several large companies whose employees now work across the valley today. Besides, I may end up working directly or indirectly with my manager in future given how people move constantly here.
It's not burning bridges and you should tell your skip/VP exactly why you are leaving (the truth) along with HR. Everyone wants to cry about shitty managers but doesnt want to ever say anything about them so there is at least the potential for the right VP/HR to do something about it. Just by the wording in your post you are clearly working at one of the big players and its not like your going to be blacklisted or likely even remembered for being truthful in your exit interview if you try and return a year+ later.
Thanks, I agree with the sentiment. My main worry is retaliation since my manager has lots of connections in the valley.
You're likely worried over nothing. While he may have plenty of connections in the valley the actual time investment to really retaliate against someone is pretty considerable. Not to mention even if well connected he doesnt have the pull to blacklist you with other companies. After you put your notice in just tell people you took a position in NYC. Don't tell them where your going that way it isn't even a thought in anyones mind.
Tell the truth about your manager. You wouldn’t have faced all those morale issues if people who exited before you had told the higher ups about your current manager. Man up and stand up for yourself. So that other people in the team don’t have morale issues under him. No company will ever blacklist you for being transparent and giving an honest feedback. If it does that, it’s good for you, you shouldn’t be working for that company anyways.
Thanks, I agree with the sentiment. My main worry is retaliation since my manager has lots of connections in the valley.
OP, yep, this is why i am soft spoken in exit interviews. Too much risk of retaliation. HR doesn't really care.
Just say, you are leaving for career reason, it's a great opportunity etc. Even if you don't want to work under that manager ever again, there is no benefit to you to burn that bridge. There have been people I will never work under, but would gladly work with.
This ^. Not worth defending the company culture at the risk of your own career.
Be a man, do the right thingg!!
I am in the ditto situation and have decided to give the hints to my manager about my real reasons of exit and convey the same in skip and exit interview with proper justification. As this is second time, I quitting because of manager. I don’t want someone else to go through with this shit. Already, 7 folks left my team without saying anything to anyone.
If vp and hr are pursuing exit discussions with you this aggressively, they probably already know there is a problem with your manager and they need your help to document these issues. If you have any trust in them at all, be really clear with them that you are concerned about retaliation from your manager and give honest, constructive, professional feedback. If you don’t feel like you can trust your vp or hr to have this modicum of professionalism, then don’t.
HR is not your friend. I would recommend skipping the interview or using career opportunity as your exit reason.
HR is not and is fucking worthless but the skip/VP can and may actually do something about it.
You have nothing to gain personally by being brutally honest. As much as I’ve wished my exiting coworkers at past companies would lay it all out during their exit interviews in hopes of it making things better for the rest of us, it often falls of deaf ears anyway.
Why didn't you just change managers? Sounds like there's more to your desire to go elsewhere than just the manager
It's not that easy. There are processes to be followed where the current manager needs to be informed prior to me finding opportunity internally. The receiving manager collects feedback from current manager, which I'm not sure will be politics-free in the current situation of the organization.