The impact of turnover has received considerable attention by senior management, human resources professionals, and industrial psychologists. It has proven to be one of the most costly and seemingly intractable human resource challenges confronting organizations. This paper provides a summary of information, abstracted from published research, on the costs of turnover, factors contributing to its magnitude in organizations, and proposed remedies.
Costs of TurnoverAnalyses of the costs associated with turnover yield surprisingly high estimates. The high cost of losing key employees has long been recognized. However, it is important for organizations to understand that general turnover rates in the …show more content…
The characteristics of the job - some jobs are intrinsically more attractive than others. A job's attractiveness will be affected by many characteristics, including its repetitiveness, challenge, danger, perceived importance, and capacity to elicit a sense of accomplishment. A job's status is also important, as are many other factors.
Unrealistic expectations - Another factor is the unrealistic expectations and general lack of knowledge that many job applicants have about the job at the time that they receive an offer. When these unrealistic expectations are not realized, the worker becomes disillusioned and decides to quit.
Demographics - empirical studies have demonstrated that turnover is associated in particular situations with demographic and biographical characteristics of workers. But to use lifestyle factors (e.g. smoking) or past employment history (e.g. many job changes) as an explicit basis for screening applicants, it is important for legality and fairness to job applicants to verify such biodata empirically.
The person - In addition to the factors listed above, there are also factors specific to the individual that can influence turnover rates. These include both personal and trait-based factors. Personal factors include things such as changes in family situation, a desire to learn a