How to Normalize Employee Turnover

Turnover isn’t inherently a bad thing. As a manager, how can you shift your team’s culture to treat healthy employee attrition as a normal fact of organizational life, rather than an awkward, unexpected breakup?

• At the outset, acknowledge that the relationship won’t last forever. As early as onboarding, establish transparency and realistic expectations with your employees. You don’t expect them to stay forever, but you do expect them to do their best work while they’re working with you.
• Regularly promote stellar internal candidates and rehire boomerang employees. In other words, keep your talent pipeline flowing. Rewarding your highest performers with upward mobility will help you retain them, and rehiring superstars who have left the company will demonstrate your long-term commitment to employees’ growth, even after they’ve left your company.
• Engage your alumni. Consider setting up an alumni newsletter, Slack workspace, or LinkedIn group where people can stay in touch—and be apprised of opportunities at your company.