Former member survey

[Lance]

As a professor of business I would discuss with my students the near worthlessness of exit surveys.  Once a person is in the process of leaving they rarely tell the full truth about why they are leaving.  Think - don't burn bridges, don't cut ties, my business, and so on - so they usually leave with a generic response such as personal reasons.  Also exit surveys have a very low response rate. 

Exit interviews are much more effective (qualitative responses versus quantitative responses).  However in CAP when the member is likely not available for an interview this can be problematic.  A business can tie the exit interview to the processes involving insurance and picking up last check - perhaps CAP could do the same (just kidding).

[TheSkyHornet]

As a professor of business I would discuss with my students the near worthlessness of exit surveys.  Once a person is in the process of leaving they rarely tell the full truth about why they are leaving.  Think - don't burn bridges, don't cut ties, my business, and so on - so they usually leave with a generic response such as personal reasons.  Also exit surveys have a very low response rate. 

Exit interviews are much more effective (qualitative responses versus quantitative responses).  However in CAP when the member is likely not available for an interview this can be problematic.  A business can tie the exit interview to the processes involving insurance and picking up last check - perhaps CAP could do the same (just kidding).

This is beyond accurate; we need a new word for it.

People don't share information, especially when they're pissed off. And it's not necessarily truthful information when shared, but an emotional rant that isn't rationally thought out. Part of it becomes a dig at the person asking because they're just venting steam. It's human nature.

Very few people "just quit." There's a reason, and it's generally something that occurs over a period of time. It's rarely ever a spur-of-the-moment thing. Someone who is shocked by a person "just quitting" didn't pay attention, and didn't talk to their guys/gals. If you get on a more personal level---and it can be professional---you'll have a much better chance to "see it coming," and try to correct if you can. And even if you can't, over time, convince the person to stay (through whatever method: coercion, incentives, morale, etc.)., you can obtain information you otherwise wouldn't have by getting to know this person.

We've had this discussion multiple times in the past. Part of this whole ordeal isn't figuring out why people left but why they joined to begin with. Are they being recruited under false pretenses? Are we telling people "Oh yeah, no problem, we'll teach you to fly" and then they never get in an aircraft? How about the "Well, I'm prior military and just looking to help in whatever way I can" person who finds themselves sitting there doing admin work or endlessly teaching drill to cadets? Or that cadet who wasn't to learn a skill and move up to teach it to their later-junior cadets, and ends up sitting in classes taught by only senior members? You need to pay close attention to what goes on in your unit and gauge it against "Is this what I'm telling people we do, or am I telling them a different idea?" A good junk of our retention problems begin at recruiting.

[MajTbird]

<...snip...>Part of this whole ordeal isn't figuring out why people left but why they joined to begin with. Are they being recruited under false pretenses? Are we telling people "Oh yeah, no problem, we'll teach you to fly" and then they never get in an aircraft? How about the "Well, I'm prior military and just looking to help in whatever way I can" person who finds themselves sitting there doing admin work or endlessly teaching drill to cadets? Or that cadet who wasn't to learn a skill and move up to teach it to their later-junior cadets, and ends up sitting in classes taught by only senior members? You need to pay close attention to what goes on in your unit and gauge it against "Is this what I'm telling people we do, or am I telling them a different idea?" A good junk of our retention problems begin at recruiting.

I think this is true.  Which is why the first question in the survey is, "Why did you join Civil Air Patrol?"  In those answers is a lot of information on expectations, recruiting practices, prevailing knowledge of the brand and so forth.

Setting expectations is important.

- MajTbird