How to think about turnover during the Great Resignation
As the Great Resignation continues, you can think about employee retention as Good Turnover vs. Bad Turnover.
It's not inherently bad when someone leaves your team! Here's how I think about it:
"Good Turnover" is...
A team member being promoted to a new role (the best kind!)
A person self-selecting out by leaving on their own. (usually an issue of poor fit, caused by misalignment of skills, attitude, or expectations, and helped along by clear, honest, and respectful feedback from their manager)
Someone leaves for reasons outside my, or the company's control (Often happens due to family illness, or some other non-work priority. I count this as "good turnover" because they're doing the right thing, and frankly, the impact on me and the company is secondary.)
^^ When "Good Turnover" happens, act on your succession planning, draw on internal networks, and talk to fellow leaders to ensure you're ready to slot in someone new who will benefit from taking on a fresh role.
>> Most importantly: Don't beat yourself up over Good Turnover!!
"Bad Turnover" is stuff you as a leader have a responsibility to identify and fix.
A talented and driven employee leaves because they couldn't see a path forward (we should have ongoing, open conversations about goals, aspirations, challenges, and expectations!)
A person leaves because of a hostile or unwelcoming work environment (team cohesion is critical, and allowing toxicity, bullying, or self-serving behavior is on us as leaders)
Someone leaves because they don't have the empowerment or tools they need to do their job with excellence (people want to do meaningful, quality work - we must equip them and focus their objectives to deliver on those high expectations)
^^ Bad Turnover requires immediate, intentional reflection to identify the root causes and fix the issue. Bad Turnover is one of the most deflating experiences for a leader, but like other challenges, it's an opportunity for improvement and progress.