Step 1: Assume nothing.

2: Voice your opinion directly to your supervisor in a respectful manner, and ask for follow-up.

3: Wait for follow up and track any changes made to processes or whatever.

4: Give a reasonable amount of time.

5: Then leave.

If you skip to 5, you're not really trying to fix the problem. You're just jumping ship - that's not a solution, really. Being an adult professional in the workplace requires you to confront problems directly.

What's not adult and professional about increasing your tc by 30-40% every time you jump ship

Who's talking about comp? While that's a perfectly valid reason to leave, we're talking about interpersonal interactions between a manager and an IC.

What do you think usually causes ICs to begin looking for new jobs in the first place

Not pay. Almost always because of issues with management/other workers. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/employees-dont-leave-companie...

>Most bosses are aware of the issues

This is not about compensation.

Leaving for compensation is absolutely a valid reason. Again, though, the same rules apply. Express to your employer you have received a job offer at X% more, with X improved benefits, and would gladly stay for a match. The worst they can say is no, correct?

Either way, the original conversation was about issues with the employer/manager. Not necessarily compensation.

I feel like that’s a bell you can’t unring though. What if they say yes? How can an employer possibly trust you don’t just go looking for an even better deal in a few months?

I once had a series of exit interviews that went all the way up to the vp of engineering. I think they all knew the issues but didn’t want to admit it. I was also being coached on what to say to the higher levels. I really did not appreciate that.

If they're coaching you on what to say at least they think that the higher level isn't acutely aware of all the issues. So you might still have done some good with your honesty.

At least one boss didn’t want me to make him look bad. Even the vp wanted me to understand that any problems were not his fault which seemed like a weird thing for a person responsible for thousands of employees.

Having never done an exit interview, are they required? Did you have to do them or lose some back-pay/benefits?

No, withholding pay for failure to participate in an exit interview is totally illegal. They can offer incentives to participate, but they cannot withhold due compensation. Whether you do the interview is optional and up to you, but regardless, you have complete control over what you say during the interview, so you never have to bring up problems. It’s rarely a good idea to bring up what you think are systemic problems during your exit interview; there is usually zero upside for you to vent your feelings, and you could accidentally open yourself to liability and/or to reputation damage with your future employers. The time to speak up about problems is long before you leave, while you’re trying to participate in the solution. The best “stated” reasons to leave are because you found something that better fits your own goals, something that is out of the control of the employer you’re leaving, and not because you’re fed up with their inability to fix something (even if it’s true).

IME even if they’re mandatory you can give BS answers that sound plausible but don’t burn any bridges. Of course, you should weigh this with improving your coworkers experience and the value of any stock you may own (a high turnover rate in a knowledge-based industry is generally bad for the business.)

They're typically scheduled during your work day after you've given notice. Why wouldn't you?

why did they think you needed to be coached? isin't the purpose of the exit interview to share your insights in order for the company to know about issues they were obviously missing or aoviding.

Because the mid-level manager doesn’t want to look bad to the VP.

I’d say the exit interviews were politically motivated. Most employees had already given months/years of feedback that was never resolved before it got to that point.

> The only way to attract attention is to leave

That only makes sense if you don't like your job and your new job is better. People who leave are quickly forgotten.

Otherwise, if you like your job, it's in your best interests to figure out how to fix it.

If you never ask for change, you’ll never find any.

This is horrible advice.