How To Handle Employee Turnover Trends

Self-reported employee turnover risk is at its highest point since 2015. Gallup's recent measure shows 51% of U.S. employees are either watching or actively seeking a new job. While the Great Resignation wave has stabilized, employees' long-term commitment is the lowest in nine years. The cost of replacing employees is staggering: - Leaders/Managers: 200% of their salary - Technical roles: 80% of their salary - Frontline employees: 40% of their salary The good news? Employee discontent and voluntary exits are highly preventable. 42% of employees who left in the past year believe their departure could have been prevented by their manager or organization. Key Takeaways for Managers: **Initiate Regular Conversations**: Engage with your team proactively. 45% of employees who left did not have any proactive job satisfaction discussions in their final three months. **Discuss Career and Compensation**: 30% of leavers cited additional compensation and benefits as retention factors. Career advancement opportunities are crucial. **Build Strong Relationships**: 21% of leavers wanted more positive interactions with their manager. Weekly meaningful conversations can boost engagement fourfold. **Remove Barriers**: Address organizational issues and workload concerns. Nearly a quarter of turnover could be avoided if these were tackled. Managers, the power to prevent turnover is in your hands. By engaging in regular, meaningful conversations and addressing key concerns, you can create a work environment where employees feel valued and committed. #EmployeeEngagement #EmployeeRetention #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #TalentManagement #GreatResignation #CareerDevelopment #GallupResearch #BenWigert

HR: Employees are leaving jobs. CFO: Do we have data on why they’re leaving? HR: Yes. 70% of our turnover is tied to unmet needs like growth, recognition, and flexibility. CEO: But how much does it actually cost us when they leave? HR: Each lost employee costs 1.5x their salary to replace, not to mention the productivity gap. CEO: We need to reduce spending. We can't spend on engagement programs. CFO: What’s the impact of these engagement programs on retention? HR: Programs focused on growth and recognition have reduced turnover by 25%, saving us $3M annually. CEO: Are there other benefits to meeting employee needs? HR: Absolutely. Employees who feel valued are 30% more productive and report higher satisfaction. CFO: What about profitability? CHRO: Engaged teams generate 21% higher profitability. It’s not just about keeping them. It’s about keeping them productive and motivated. CEO: So cutting back on programs that meet employee needs could cost us more? CFO: The data shows there’s a significant financial impact. HR: Meeting employee needs isn’t just an expense. It’s an investment in retention, productivity, and profit. The lesson? Employees quit when their needs go unmet, whether it’s for growth, recognition, or flexibility. Invest in your employees.

The "war for talent" continues, but many companies are stuck using the same hiring and retention strategies they've relied on for decades. These methods might keep employees a bit longer, but they still leave. Why? Because it's not just about perks or compensation—it's about the experience. A recent, thought-provoking Harvard Business Review article by Ethan Bernstein, Michael Horn and Bob Moesta suggests that employees crave meaningful work, to feel valued, trusted, and have room to grow. After studying job switchers for 15 years, they identified four key reasons for why employees leave: 1. Get out: They're in a toxic environment or feel stuck in a role that doesn’t align with their strengths. 2. Regain control: They need more flexibility or predictability in their work-life balance. 3. Regain alignment: They’re seeking a job where their skills and talents are fully utilized and appreciated. 4. Take the next step: They’re ready for growth and new responsibilities after reaching a milestone. So what can leaders do to create the experiences people actually need? Here are three specific strategies the article suggests: (a) Interview people early: Don't wait until employees are leaving. Have regular, meaningful conversations about their career goals and motivations. (b) Develop “shadow” job descriptions: Go beyond vague or outdated job descriptions—focus on the real day-to-day tasks and experiences that make the role fulfilling. (c) Collaborate with HR: Work with HR to design roles that align both the organization's needs and the employee's personal growth goals. By addressing these deeper factors, companies can reduce costly turnover and build workplaces where people thrive and want to stay. How is your organization aligning employee experience with retention strategies? #leadership #talentdevelopment #employeeexperience #retention #growth #workplaceculture https://lnkd.in/dJzU2aTm

The Cost of a Toxic Workplace: Turning Talent into Turnover Workplaces are often described as ecosystems where individuals thrive, collaborate, and contribute to a common goal. However, when toxicity seeps into this environment, it becomes less about growth and success and more about survival and attrition. The image below illustrates this phenomenon vividly: a toxic workplace acts as a cliff, where talent walks in but quickly falls off into the abyss of turnover. Understanding Toxicity in the Workplace A toxic workplace is characterized by negative behaviors, such as bullying, favoritism, micromanagement, lack of accountability, or poor communication. These factors create an environment where employees feel undervalued, unsupported, and demotivated. Over time, this toxicity erodes morale and contributes to a revolving door of talent. Why Talent Walks Off the Cliff 1. Erosion of Trust: Employees lose faith in leadership when promises are broken or unethical behavior is tolerated. 2. Lack of Recognition: High performers who feel invisible or unappreciated are more likely to leave. 3. Burnout: Unrealistic workloads and lack of work-life balance push employees to seek healthier alternatives. 4. Poor Relationships: Toxic managers or colleagues create stress and diminish job satisfaction. The Hidden Costs of High Turnover High turnover isn’t just a morale issue—it’s a financial one. Recruiting, onboarding, and training new employees come at a steep price. Moreover, the loss of institutional knowledge and decreased team productivity compound the problem. Toxicity can also tarnish the company’s reputation, making it harder to attract top talent in the future. Building a Bridge Instead of a Cliff To prevent the exodus of talent, organizations need to invest in cultivating a positive and supportive workplace culture. Here’s how: 1. Foster Open Communication: Encourage employees to voice concerns without fear of retaliation. 2. Prioritize Leadership Training: Equip managers with the tools to inspire and support their teams effectively. 3. Recognize and Reward Contributions: Celebrate achievements to show employees their work matters. 4. Invest in Employee Well-being: Provide resources for mental health, flexible working arrangements, and opportunities for professional growth. 5. Enforce Accountability: Hold all employees, regardless of rank, accountable for their behavior. Final Thoughts Organizations that ignore toxicity risk turning into the cliff depicted in the image—an attractive structure on the surface but a precarious environment for those within. By prioritizing a healthy workplace culture, companies can not only retain their top talent but also foster a thriving and loyal workforce. It’s time to transform toxic workplaces into supportive environments where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. #humanresources #howcanihelp

Your best employee quits. Not a big deal? Think again. The $50,000+ employee who left? Here's the real cost: • $25,000–$100,000+ in direct costs (Recruitment, onboarding, training, and administrative expenses) • Months of lost productivity (It often takes a new hire months to reach full effectiveness) • Damaged team morale and momentum (The impact on coworkers and workflow can linger long after someone leaves) But here’s what most leaders miss: It’s not just about the money spent to replace them-it’s about the systems that drove them away in the first place. 3 Silent Signs Your Best People Are Checking Out: 1. Recognition Desert Their strong performance is expected, not celebrated. Feedback is mostly criticism, rarely praise. They stop sharing new ideas. 2. Compensation Theater Promised “market adjustments” never arrive. Raises are replaced with excuses. They’re asked to do more, but paid the same. 3. Leadership Vacuum Micromanagement is disguised as “oversight.” Suggestions and feedback vanish into a black hole. They feel replaceable, not essential. The Solution? Build Systems That Keep Your Best ✅ Proactive Value Recognition Market-rate pay is the baseline, not the goal. Reward excellence before they have to ask. Make compensation transparent and fair. ✅ Clear Growth Architecture Define real advancement paths-and follow through. Invest in developing internal talent before hiring externally. Create opportunities that challenge and engage your people. ✅ Leadership That Inspires Build psychological safety-don’t just talk about it. Give autonomy with real authority. Create a culture people want to stay in, not escape from. Bottom Line Retention isn’t just an HR initiative. It’s a business imperative. Fix your systems now-or watch your best talent walk out the door, taking their potential (and your investment) with them. 👋 I help organizations reduce turnover and build sustainable leadership systems. ♻️ Share if your network needs this wake-up call.

What’s driving retention and fueling attrition? 📊 Worklytics research reveals the key work behaviors that increase attrition risk and those that boost retention. The data is clear: burnout, weak networks, and poor manager support push employees out, while career growth, focus time, and leadership visibility keep them engaged. Let’s break it down. 👇 🚨 Attrition Risks: 🔸 Workdays over 9.5 hours → +15% attrition risk Burnout leads to disengagement and turnover. 🔸 Fewer than 1 manager 1:1 per month → +15% disengagement risk Lack of manager connection is a top predictor of quiet quitting. 🔸 Less than 3 hours of focus time per day → +12% burnout risk Too many meetings = stress, longer hours, and lower performance. 🔸 Weak networks (fewer than 4 strong collaborators) → +12% isolation risk Disconnected employees are far more likely to leave. 🔸 Overextended (17+ close collaborators) → +8% higher stress Too many work connections create cognitive overload. 🔸 More than 3 hours of weekend work → +8% higher turnover risk Lack of work-life boundaries accelerates burnout. 🔸 More than 2 manager changes in a year → +6% higher attrition Frequent leadership changes erode trust and slow career growth. ✅ Retention Drivers: ✔️ Workdays under 9 hours → 8% lower attrition risk Sustainable workloads improve job satisfaction and reduce burnout. ✔️ At least 2 manager 1:1s per month → 11% retention boost Regular check-ins strengthen engagement and career growth. ✔️ More than 4 hours of focus time per day → 8% better engagement Uninterrupted work time fuels productivity and satisfaction. ✔️ 6+ strong collaborators → 8% lower turnover risk Employees with strong internal networks are more committed. ✔️ Fewer than 23 after-hours Slack messages per week → 6% retention boost Healthy boundaries protect work-life balance. ✔️ 1 promotion in 18 months → 3% higher retention Clear career paths drive long-term engagement. ✔️ 1 team change in 24 months → 3% stronger internal mobility Internal moves prevent stagnation and boost development. Tracking these signals helps predict retention trends, identify at-risk employees, and design targeted interventions before it’s too late. See the comments below for the full analysis from our team at Worklytics. Which retention signals are you tracking? #PeopleAnalytics #HRAnalytics #WorkforceAnalytics #TalentAnalytics #FutureOfWork

Employees with more tenured managers have lower attrition rates Last week, we looked at how large of an impact “manager thrash” has on employee attrition rates. In short, employees who get assigned 3 or more different managers in a year are ~75% more likely to leave your company. What about tenured managers vs new managers? _______________ 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Tenured managers tend to retain their employees with higher success rates across Pave’s dataset. ✅ Managers with less than 1 year tenure ⇒ 30% annual turnover rate for their reports ✅ 1 year ⇒ 27% annual turnover rate ✅ 2 years ⇒ 25% annual turnover rate ✅ 3 years ⇒ 24% annual turnover rate ✅ 4 years ⇒ 23% annual turnover rate ✅ 5 years ⇒ 22% annual turnover rate ✅ 6 years ⇒ 21% annual turnover rate ✅ 7 years ⇒ 20% annual turnover rate ✅ 8 years ⇒ 20% annual turnover rate ✅ 9+ years ⇒ 19% annual turnover rate Note that the mentioned turnover rates include both voluntary and involuntary attrition (including layoffs). _______________ 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗥 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻. Promoting managers from within often translates to some degree of risk, because you’re pushing an employee into a new role with heightened responsibility levels. However, this promote-from-within playbook is perhaps somewhat de-risked by virtue of the employee’s tenure and accrued context of how your company operates. Not to mention mutual trust with existing employees at your company. As demonstrated from the attached chart, tenured managers tend to have more success with employee retention. 2️⃣ 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀. It is prudent to run an analysis on the tenure distribution of all managers at your company and track the median over time to get a sense of your org chart stability. This analysis can perhaps inform or act as a leading indicator of future employee retention rate trends. #pave #orgchart #benchmarks

A new study finds that 51% of employees are watching for or actively seeking new job opportunities, which is the most since 2015. Employees prioritize greater work-life balance (59%), significant increases in their income (54%), and great job stability (54%). This data highlights a serious retention risk for HR, emphasizing the need to address employees' evolving priorities around work-life balance, competitive compensation, and job stability. With over half of employees considering new opportunities, HR must take proactive steps to enhance the employee experience — offering flexible work arrangements, ensuring fair and meaningful pay increases, and fostering a culture of transparency and security around the company’s future. It also calls for deeper engagement efforts, like regular check-ins, career development support, and well-being initiatives, to strengthen employee satisfaction and loyalty. By listening to employee needs and acting swiftly, HR can reduce turnover and build a more committed, motivated workforce.

According to a new Gallup study, almost half of those who have recently resigned from your organization were 100% willing to consider staying.   If you'd done something about it.   Like what?   💸 Make compensation changes based on active and regular market reviews and employee performance   🏆 Reward high achievers with accolades, promotions, bonuses - and a simple show of gratitude   ⏱️ Allow for remote work, provide additional time off, consider reduced workweeks, to ensure they can balance the demands of their personal lives and prevent burnout   🎓 Provide opportunities for skill growth through access to training and mentorship   🤝 Get to know your employees as people, not just workers, to build relationships and connections   🎙️ Actively solicit (and actually listen to) employee feedback   When you design an intentional #employeeexperience that increases your people's belonging, it not only accelerates your organizational performance, it also builds connection and loyalty between employees and employers, reducing the chances of turnover. WIN-WIN #employeeengagement #iamtalentcentric