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17 Tips On How To Reduce Employee Turnover & Retain Them

Keeping your employees happy and engaged is key to reducing turnover. Discover how to reduce employee turnover and build a strong workforce.

Tim Kuo

Tim Kuo

11 min read

team working - employee engagement in the workplace

Employee turnover is a common challenge many organizations face, with businesses constantly seeking ways to reduce it to ensure they retain their best talent. Implementing effective strategies for Retention Management has become crucial in today's competitive job market, where attracting and keeping skilled employees is a top priority. With turnover rates on the rise, organizations are keen to explore ways to retain their best talent. In this blog, we will delve into how to reduce employee turnover and provide valuable insights to help you implement strategies for Retention Management effectively.


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What Is Employee Turnover?

discovering the important employee engagement factors Employee turnover is when workers leave your company. This includes both voluntary turnover (e.g., an employee resigns, retires or transfers) and involuntary turnover (e.g., an employee is laid off or fired). Although some level of employee departure is expected, it is important to monitor your turnover rate to get better insight into employee morale and to make informed decisions.

When evaluating whether your company has high or low employee turnover, consider your industry; for example, hotels typically have much higher employee turnover than government jobs do. If you are experiencing a higher-than-average employee turnover rate for your industry, it may be time to make some internal changes. Employee turnover is a costly and disruptive problem that many companies face, with effects ranging from loss of time and money to decreased morale.

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What Are The Leading Causes Of Employee Turnover?

woman working on computer - employee engagement score Employee turnover is unavoidable, and certain drivers are outside of an organization's control, such as when workers retire or relocate. In many cases, turnover is caused by negative employee experiences that employers can work to improve.

Employee exit interviews can be an effective tool in helping employers understand why their people are leaving and what they can do about it. A 2022 survey of 2,202 people by the remote job site FlexJobs revealed the four most common reasons people want to leave their jobs: toxic company culture (62%), low salary (59%), poor management (56%), and lack of healthy work-life balance (49%).

In general, most departing employees will cite one or more of the following reasons for leaving:

  1. Bad company culture
  2. Insufficient pay/benefits
  3. Unsupportive or ineffective management
  4. Poor work-life balance
  5. Lack of career opportunity
  6. Inadequate recognition
  7. Fear of layoffs
  8. Monotonous work
  9. Burnout
  10. Desire to relocate

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How Do You Measure Employee Turnover?

businessman holding a certificate It's normal to measure staff turnover by year. If you want to see how your employee turnover is doing, you can measure it through the simple calculation below:

Work out the average number of employees in a year. To do this, add the number of employees at the start and the number of employees at the end of the year. Divide this figure by 2 to find the average.

Now divide the total number of leavers by the average number of employees in a year.

Multiply this number by 100.

The answer is your yearly employee turnover as a percentage. According to SHRM’s 2017 Human Capital Benchmarking Report, the overall average turnover rate in 2016 was 18%, so you may want to compare your staff turnover rate to this number. Another great option is to, where possible, try to benchmark this figure against those of similar employers, to establish whether your level of turnover is acceptable for your industry.

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The Impact Of High Employee Turnover Rates

team working on Best Employee Recognition Software High employee turnover rates can have a detrimental impact on a business in multiple ways. The financial implications can be significant, as the costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and training a new employee can be as high as 200% of the departing employee's salary. The expenses don't stop there; additional costs come into play with time lost in productivity and the potential for decreased employee performance while a role is vacant or during the onboarding process. All these factors can add up and affect the company's bottom line.

If the employee was client-facing—such as a salesperson or an account manager—there is the risk that the client may discontinue business with your company or follow the employee to their next employer.

The Ripple Effect of Lost Expertise

Another crucial issue arising from high employee turnover is the impact on client relationships. If a departing employee has a client-facing role, the client might choose to sever ties with the company or follow the employee to their new workplace. Losing client relationships can result in reduced revenue and a tarnished reputation, which can be challenging for businesses in any industry to recover.

A Cycle of Negativity

High employee turnover can also greatly affect a company's morale and overall work environment. When employees witness many of their colleagues leaving, trust in company management can dwindle, and morale can take a hit. This can create a negative work environment where the remaining employees feel unappreciated and under-supported. High turnover rates can also make attracting and retaining new talent hard. Job seekers will likely be wary of joining a company with a reputation for rapid employee turnover, as it may indicate deeper issues within the organization.

Culture Disruption and Identity Loss

A constant influx of new employees can disrupt a company's culture. Employees often absorb the values and norms of a workplace from their peers rather than a handbook or a training session. When long-term employees are scarce, the company culture may struggle to establish and maintain its identity. A strong company culture can help attract top talent, keep employees engaged, and ensure everyone is aligned with the company's mission and values. High employee turnover can disrupt this crucial aspect and impede the growth and success of the business.

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17 Tips On How To Reduce Employee Turnover And Retain Your Best Talent

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1. Hiring the Right People

Recruiters must be clear about the organization's culture upfront, telling the candidate not what they think the person wants to hear, but how the company operates. A big part of hiring the right person is ensuring that recruiting seeks the right person. Many organizations have improved their success rate with new hires by allowing peers in that person’s role to make the hiring decisions.

Organizations should also invest time in getting to know the candidate. In-person visits to the office and opportunities to see how the person reacts and interacts with potential co-workers are ideal. Still, they can sometimes be accomplished via video as well. If possible, consider making specific roles remote to increase the pool of available candidates and boost the chances of finding the ideal fit.

2. Provide Flexible Work Policies

Employees are attracted to companies that offer more flexible work policies. Reduce turnover by instituting some or all of these policies:

Flex schedule

Instead of working the typical nine-to-five schedule, employees could set their hours.

Remote work

Depending on the remote work policy you choose, employees can work outside the office all, or part, of the time.

Job sharing

Two or more employees would work part-time to fulfill the responsibilities of one role.

Compressed workweek

Employees could work more than eight hours a day to complete a 40-hour workweek in less than five days. Typically, employees would work 10-hour workdays four days a week.

3. Fostering Team Building

To build a collaborative company culture and reduce turnover, consider the following initiatives:

Team events

Schedule game nights, cooking classes, lunches, field trips, and other events that help people bond more personally.

All-hands meetings

Host quarterly team meetings to discuss goals, objectives, and priorities for the quarter and accomplishments and setbacks from the previous quarter. Employees are likely to be more committed to the company’s success if they understand the business strategy and how their team is making an impact.

Extracurricular groups

Encourage team members to set up fun extracurriculars like book clubs, sports teams, and volunteer groups to help employees from different departments and seniority levels connect.

4. Offering Competitive Salaries and Benefits

It is important to offer a competitive starting salary and benefits and monitor the cost of labor and living in your area to keep offering a competitive salary. Many employees leave companies searching for better pay, so if you adjust compensation to account for inflation, cost of living, and a job well done, you’ll likely reduce compensation-related turnover.

5. Maintaining Frequent Communication

Open communication between management and employees will help identify and address problems or concerns early on. Conducting regular performance reviews motivates employees to keep up the good work.Employees should have regular sessions to review their work performance and salary expectations.

6. Outlining Defined Career Paths

Taking the time to outline a career path for each employee, including professional development and performance benchmarks, can go a long way toward reducing the turnover rate and keeping your staff motivated.

7. Showing Your Team Members They’re Valued and Appreciated

Recognizing and valuing hard work is crucial to retaining employees. Celebrate employee birthdays, publicly recognize employees for a job well done, treat your team to happy hour, and provide extra holiday benefits. Promote peer recognition and celebrate non-work-related achievements.

8. Providing Growth Opportunities

Lack of recognition or a salary that’s too low are common reasons employees leave their jobs. Professional training and development, mentorship, and feedback help employees grow and support their career advancement within the organization.

9. Encouraging Generosity and Gratitude

Encouraging positive social behavior in employees will lead to healthier, happier, and more engaged team members. Acts of connection and appreciation can help reduce turnover and create a positive work environment.

10. Offering a Flexible, Healthy Work-Life Balance

Employees crave a flexible, healthy work-life balance. Flexible work schedules and locations can positively impact retention rates and employee satisfaction.

11. Prioritizing Employee Happiness

Investing in employee happiness leads to higher engagement, productivity, and retention rates. A positive work environment fosters job satisfaction and aligns employees with company values.

12. Assigning Special Projects or Offering Incentives

Assigning unique projects or offering competitive incentives can motivate employees and improve morale. Recognizing and trusting employees with additional responsibilities can boost retention rates.

13. Listening to Employees and Acting on Their Feedback

Frequent and clear employee feedback helps identify and address issues before they escalate. A confidential pulse survey tool allows for open communication and empowers employees to share their thoughts and feelings.

14. Keeping an Eye Out for Toxic Team Members

Addressing toxic team members promptly prevents negative attitudes from spreading and impacting team morale. Dealing with toxic behaviors early on can help maintain a positive work environment and reduce turnover.

15. Being Transparent

Transparent communication with employees fosters trust and engagement. Providing updates on the company’s strategy and inviting honest employee feedback creates a culture of transparency and openness.

Understanding industry trends and competitor practices can help identify why employees leave and offer better employee retention incentives. Researching what other companies offer their employees can guide you in improving your own benefits and compensation packages.

17. Conducting Retention Surveys and Exit Interviews

Sending out retention questionnaires and conducting exit interviews can provide valuable insights into employee satisfaction, issues, and reasons for leaving. Implementing meaningful changes based on feedback and survey findings can boost employee morale and retention rates.

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Build A Meaningful Employee Recognition Program With Ease with Giftpack

In retention management, I’m always looking for innovative solutions that can help companies reduce employee turnover. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about Giftpack, a revolutionary platform that is changing the game regarding corporate gifting.

Personalized Gifting with AI

Giftpack is driven by a desire to simplify the corporate gifting process while maximizing the impact of each gift. Using a custom AI algorithm, Giftpack creates highly customized scenario swag box options for recipients. By considering an individual's basic demographics, preferences, social media activity, and digital footprint, Giftpack tailors each gift selection process. This personalized approach ensures that each recipient receives a gift that truly resonates with them.

Global Reach and Extensive Selection

With a catalog of over 3.5 million products worldwide, Giftpack offers a wide range of locally and globally sourced gifts to choose from. This extensive selection makes it easy to find the perfect gift, no matter who the recipient is—whether an employee, a customer, a VIP client, a friend, or a family member. Giftpack's global delivery service ensures that personalized gifting is accessible and achievable on a large scale, enabling meaningful connections across the globe.

Incorporating Giftpack into your employee appreciation strategy can help reduce turnover by fostering a sense of value and appreciation among your team. So why not try Giftpack today and see how it can make employee appreciation easier for your organization?

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Tim Kuo

Tim Kuo

11 min read

About Giftpack

Giftpack is the world's leading Emotional Intelligence platform for business success, serving 1,400+ companies with AI-powered relationship automation. Our intelligent infrastructure transforms how enterprises build loyalty, retain talent, and strengthen partnerships through personalized rewards and recognition. With global reach across multiple countries and seamless integrations to CRM and HRIS systems, we automate meaningful connections that drive measurable business outcomes. From employee onboarding to client retention, Giftpack helps companies build authentic relationships while achieving exceptional recipient satisfaction.

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