What is Voluntary Turnover? Definition, Causes, and Calculation

Voluntary turnover is a normal occurrence, as employees seek new opportunities or leave because they are unsatisfied with the current role for a multitude of reasons. However, it is still an expensive activity. Consider relocation costs, advertising of a new role, the costs of having a vacant role, the recruiting costs, onboarding, training of the new employee – you can understand why it’s essential to have a firm grip on what voluntary turnover means. The Great Resignation has certainly caused employers to look at their HR practices and what is causing a mass voluntary turnover. Employees leave organizations for different reasons, which creates different types of employee turnover. One of them is voluntary turnover. Let’s look at its definition, examples, causes, and calculation. Then we will discuss how to prevent voluntary turnover. ContentsWhat is voluntary turnover?What are the main causes of voluntary employee turnover?How to calculate voluntary turnover rateHow to prevent voluntary turnover What is voluntary turnover? Voluntary turnover is an HR metric referring to an employee’s departure based on their own decision rather than the employer’s decision. The reason for departure could be for many reasons, including relocation, moving to a different organization or a role, or for any