Retention

Attrition

Definition

What is Attrition?

Attrition is the gradual reduction of a workforce over time as employees leave through resignation, retirement, or other departures and are not immediately replaced by the organization.

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The gradual workforce reduction as employees leave without immediate replacement.

In Practice

How Attrition works?

Attrition rate is calculated by dividing the number of employees who left during a period by the average headcount for that period, then multiplying by 100. The most diagnostically useful practice is separating voluntary attrition — employees choosing to leave — from involuntary attrition — employees terminated or laid off — because they have completely different root causes and require completely different responses. Voluntary attrition rate is the health signal: it reflects whether employees find the organization worth staying in, and its drivers — manager quality, career opportunity, compensation relative to market, culture fit — are all factors HR can influence. Involuntary attrition reflects selection and performance management quality, which is a separate diagnostic category requiring separate analysis.

By the numbers

Key Statistics

What the research says about employee engagement.

13-15%

The average voluntary attrition rate across industries is 13 to 15 percent annually, with rates above 20 percent signaling systemic engagement, management quality, or compensation competitiveness problems requiring structured intervention.

150%

Replacing a professional employee costs between 50 and 150 percent of their annual salary when all costs — sourcing, interviewing, onboarding, and ramp-up productivity loss — are included in the calculation.

Organizations tracking attrition by manager rather than only by department identify people management root causes of turnover 3x faster, enabling targeted coaching investment where it will have the highest retention impact.

How Qureos helps

Qureos platform

Qureos provides an AI-powered talent acquisition platform for employers, combining Iris AI sourcing, automated multi-channel outreach, AI video interview screening, and ATS integration to accelerate the full acquisition cycle.

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Also known as

Synonyms and Translations

Other ways this term appears across industries and languages.

Synonyms

Employee Attrition

Staff Reduction

Workforce Shrinkage

Natural Wastage

Translations

🇸🇦

Arabic

التآكل الوظيفي

🇫🇷

French

Attrition du personnel

🇮🇳

Hindi

अपघर्षण

🇵🇰

Urdu

ملازمین کی کمی

🇵🇭

Tagalog

Attrition ng Manggagawa

People may ask

People May Ask

Common questions about employee engagement.

What is attrition in HR?

Attrition refers to the natural decline in workforce size when employees leave through resignation or retirement and those positions are not refilled.

What is the difference between attrition and turnover?

Turnover means vacated roles are refilled. Attrition means roles are left vacant, gradually reducing the overall headcount of the organization.

How is attrition rate calculated?

Divide the number of employees who left during a period by the average workforce size, then multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

Is attrition always negative for a company?

Not always. Planned attrition can reduce costs and headcount naturally during restructuring without requiring layoffs or redundancy processes.

What causes high attrition rates?

Poor management, lack of growth opportunities, low compensation, weak culture, and inadequate work-life balance are common drivers of high attrition.