Why departures are normal

When someone leaves, they’re usually replaced—creating internal opportunities. If no manager ever leaves, those below have fewer chances to advance.

You don’t need the same profiles at every company stage: build, execute, expand.

Some people won’t fit your culture. As OpenClassrooms’ cofounder shared, parting ways with harmful profiles can transform daily life.

And turnover is inevitable—tenure varies by country and industry.

Which indicators should you track?

Attrition

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Turnover

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Probation attrition, employer‑initiated

You may hire well, but if newcomers fail probation, it’s wasted time and money. This KPI aligns talent acquisition and hiring managers around recruiting quality.

Probation attrition, employee‑initiated

Sometimes the role, company, and team differ from expectations. Leaving on good terms can be healthy. Poor onboarding often drives exits—don’t underestimate it. See Notion’s onboarding guidance.

Attrition by gender

A simple DEI signal: compare female vs male departure rates. A large gap is a red flag.

Average tenure

In France, the average is around 11 years; in startups it’s much lower. Carta’s dataset suggests ~2 years in startups.

How to react to turnover

Step 1: Set retention goals

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Prefer targets to “ceilings”—until you hit the target, there’s a gap to close.

Step 2: Conduct exit interviews

See Harvard Business Review guidance. Tip: have the closest manager interview, not HR, to encourage honest feedback.

Step 3: Analyze reasons

Borrow “red bin” logic from lean manufacturing: classify departures by cause (lack of projection, misaligned vision, pay, other) and investigate root causes.

Step 4: Take action

Prioritize recurring or alarming causes (e.g., toxic manager). If lack of projection is common, implement clear career paths and levels.

Step 5: Track outcomes

• Quantitative: monitor indicator trends against goals.
• Qualitative: check whether recent exit feedback reflects improvements.