Attrition

Attrition is the drastic reduction in the employee workforce of an organisation, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, without a plan by the employer for the immediate replacement of the employee. Generally, it can be caused by retirement, relocation, or even death. But what makes it a dicey situation for an employer is that there is usually no immediate replacement for the employee leaving, which results in a skill gap within the organisation. The rate at which attrition occurs in an organisation over a period of time is called the Attrition Rate. 

There are different types of attrition, usually caused by different factors. They include:

• Attrition due to retirement: This is an attrition that occurs when a reasonable number of employees retire, leading to a gap in the organisation. 

• Voluntary Attrition: This occurs when employees leave their jobs voluntarily. It could be as a result of relocation or other personal interests. 

• Involuntary Attrition: This happens when employers are forced to lay off a set of employees due to bad performance or lack of growth. It is considered involuntary as the employee may not necessarily want to quit their job. 

• Internal Attrition: While this is not very common, it can happen in large organisations. This occurs when employees migrate from one department to another. It comes with the advantage of making it possible for employers to reroute talent within the organisation. 

In addition, some reasons have been identified over time as responsible for attrition in organisations. Some of those reasons include: 

• Change in personal interests of the employee over time. 

• Lack of career and growth opportunities for employees within an organisation. 

• A wrong work environment, lack of leadership and sufficient work tools, and other challenges in the workplace can lead to attrition. 

• Poor employee-to-job fit can also be a reason for attrition in an organisation. 

To curb attrition in the office, there are simple steps an employer can take to secure the employees. They are: 

• Employers should ensure that employees have competitive pay compared to other companies, or at least that they are paid enough.

• Conduct detailed interview sessions to know the long-term plan of employees who intend to join the organisation. 

• Create a great work environment that enables employees to grow in their career paths. 

• Always request feedback from your employees to understand their state per time and what the company can do to make it better. 

For a deeper dive into proven retention strategies used by leading Nigerian employers, practical attrition management frameworks, workforce planning tools, and real-life case studies, download The HR Leader's Playbook for Managing Japa-Driven Attrition.

While attrition may not always be favourable to the organisation, in some cases, it can be. It can help in uprooting wrong employees that do not fit into the organisation, and also creates a dynamic workforce where the same employees aren’t always the ones running the organisation.