Control staff turnover

The checklist below will help employers control staff turnover in their business.

Checklist to reduce and manage staff turnover

Using this checklist helps you identify causes of turnover early, improve employee satisfaction, and maintain a stable and productive workforce.

1. Track and monitor turnover

   • Keep detailed records of employees who leave.
   • Regularly calculate and monitor your staff turnover rate.
   • Benchmark your staff turnover rate against similar businesses in your industry.

2. Understand why employees leave

   • Conduct exit interviews confidentially, away from the employee’s direct manager.
   • Use staff attitude surveys or focus groups to gather honest feedback.
   • Review exit interview data objectively to identify common reasons for staff leaving.

3. Improve recruitment and onboarding

   • Ensure job adverts accurately describe roles and expectations.
   • Refine recruitment and selection processes to match candidates to roles and culture.
   • Develop a thorough induction programme to integrate new staff effectively.

4. Review pay, benefits, and working conditions

   • Regularly review and benchmark pay and benefits to remain competitive in the job market.
   • Assess and improve working conditions, including flexibility and work-life balance options.

5. Develop staff and management

   • Provide training, development, and clear promotion paths to engage employees.
   • Train managers in effective leadership, coaching, and people management skills.
   • Encourage open communication and regular feedback between staff and management.

6. Foster a positive business culture

   • Promote trust, respect, diversity, and inclusion within the workplace.
   • Encourage teamwork and shared goals.
   • Recognise and thank staff for their contributions regularly.

7. Manage performance and address issues

   • Implement fair and transparent appraisal and performance management systems.
   • Have clear, well-communicated disciplinary and grievance procedures.
   • Act promptly on feedback and concerns raised by employees.

8. Plan for staff changes

   • Develop succession plans to prepare for key employee departures.
   • Create a contingency plan to manage workload during vacancies.

See reduce staff turnover.

Best practices for exit interviews

• Conduct interviews confidentially and in a comfortable setting to encourage honest and constructive feedback.
• Assure employees that their feedback will not affect references or future opportunities.
• Use structured, consistent questions to capture comparable data.
• Analyse feedback regularly to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Act on insights gained to improve retention and workplace culture.