The surveyódeveloped by OfficeTeam, Menlo Park, Calif.ówas conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nationís 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, ìHow often do you act on information gathered during exit interviews with departing employees?î Their responses:

Always (19 percent)
Somewhat frequently (57 percent)
Rarely (11 percent)
Never (6 percent)
Do not conduct exit interviews (6 percent)
Donít know (1 percent)

ìWhether or not they are leaving on good terms, employees should take the time to share their insight and suggestions for improvement,î Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam, said in a release. ìItís not always easy to offer constructive criticism, but this feedback is valuable to the employer, as long as itís delivered diplomatically.î

OfficeTeam offers the following advice for exiting on the right note:

Avoid burning bridges. Even if your work experience was not always smooth sailing, keep your interaction in the meeting positive and professional. Avoid negative comments about individual supervisors or coworkers.

Keep it constructive. Managers want information they can use to make improvements in policies and procedures, department structure, and corporate culture. Offer feedback and suggestions that can lead to change.

Be candid but accurate. Itís often difficult for supervisors to get honest feedback from current employees, so your candor will likely be appreciated. Be as truthful as you can, but be mindful that what you say could have an impact on other peopleís careers.