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Is high attrition rate only an HR challenge?

Asked by Bharti Mittal on 09, Mar 2010 05:13 PM | Total Answers: (97)
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  • Let us before going furthur into this question understand it for simplicity. High Attrition Rate (HTA) can be related on Micro and Macro Level. Micro level HTA is the attrition rate faced by an individual firm. If its high then it is not only a concern of HR in the organisation but since HR is directly responsible for this a major responsibility rests at its shoulder. It is the purpose to create a separate department and function to look into the causes of imbalances in human resource planningand find out workable solutions to that. A department cant escape its liability in times not favourable to it. If the whole management does not implement recommendations of HR deptt. and it is not allowed to run independently then its a ...See More Answered by Rajesh Kumar Pandey , Finance Manager at Hidden | 28, May 2010 02:57 PM

  • JOBS4U A HR SERVICES

    Add to my Newspaper
    ...See More Answered by VACHAN SHARMA , CONSULTANT at JoBs 4 UHR SOLUTIONS | 10, May 2010 10:08 PM
  • HIgh attrition rate is a symtom. It is an indicator of "needs a lot of improvement" in your HR practices right from your 'recruitment to Exit'. It talks of all aspects of your HR practices. You need to listen become introvert, open and ready to accept and change quickly. You need to be flexible in your approach without parting with your true intrinsic HR values. Answered by Jayant Joshi | 11, Apr 2010 07:46 PM
  • Attrition rate is always responsible/challenge of HR, until and unless HR are given independent authority and responsibilities without the interference of top management. Answered by Wasim Bari , ASST. MANAGER at Planet M Retail Ltd | 06, Apr 2010 04:03 PM
  • High attrition is a challenge for HR people but it is not only a HR challenge. You have very correctly mentioned that as the economy started rebounding and in view of that industries have started exploring growth opportunities for their business via expansion plans and new projects also. It would not be out of place to mention here that the work culture and a carrier growth opportunity available in the organization plays a vital role apart from the comparable compensation as per industry benchmark. Everybody has a willingness to grow fast and earn more but at the same time he or she should always consider the experience what he has gained from last economic slowdown. What happened to those professionals who had been sacked on a ...See More Answered by BN Singh , Sr. Manager (Personel) at JK Paper Ltd | 31, Mar 2010 12:14 PM
  • NO, I don't think so, it is both the co-operative challenge for the HR as well as the management. Answered by Shalini Singh | 30, Mar 2010 02:41 PM
  • It is not HR Challenge? It is organizations Challenge to contain the attrition? Other way round, retention rate is important, which primarly depends on Employee engagement which depends on the supervisor and Partly on HR policies and retention strategy and schemes. Answered by Venugopalarao Banki , HEAD - ORGAINZATION PLANNING at ACC Limited | 24, Mar 2010 10:22 PM
  • believe we should talk of solutions rather than disowning a combined responsibility.We must agree People Leave Managers & not organisations.disparity in Salary & perks are second cause of leaving organisation.The worst part is organisations take people staying for long in their organisations as granted & their perks are not inline with new people joining organisation.I suggest following Measures.

    1)The respective managers & HR must ensure that they pay inline with Market & provide proper trainings . 2) 360 degree appraisal system will ensure checking a manager not been able to develop a team.3)There should be & incentive for people staying more than 3 years in an organisation .4)The Next level appointments should be from the ...See More Answered by Pradeepc Ghai , Materials ,Sourcing ,Development & supplychain specialist at JCB India Ltd | 23, Mar 2010 06:13 AM
  • I believe, each and every member of the organisation is responsible for high attrition rate. However, the onus lies on the top management and on HR to identify the reasons for the same and take/facilitate corrective action. HR's responsibility is limited to keep their ears to the ground and understand the reasons behind the decision taken by individual and then help the organisation to take suitable steps to correct the situation. Answered by Vinay Garg , Head - Parts Sales & Marketing at JCB India Ltd | 20, Mar 2010 08:50 PM
  • No. It is a Business Challenge. Core responsibility lies with HR & others are having contributory responsibilities. Answered by GMK Guru , GM - HR & ADMIN at UNIPRES INDIA PVT LTD | 17, Mar 2010 11:53 AM
  • Dear Bharati Mittal,
    I can say that attrition is not just an HR issue. Increasing rate of attrition weigh heavily on the minds of almost every HR manager in the IT industry. And it should.Infact HR department has to do a lot of functions inorder to retain talented employees.Besides hiring the right people to manage and perform specific jobs, HR managers have to build up commitment and loyalty among the workforce by keeping them up to date about company plans, and laying out the implications for job security and working conditions. At the same time all the other departments should work uniquely for making a good relationships with the employees.Its high time that all departments took a collective approach to understanding the ...See More Answered by darsana jyothish | 15, Mar 2010 02:10 PM
  • Certainly, high attrition rate is not just an HR challenge, but for an organisation as a whole.
    As in HR department has a staff authority, thus partly its the responsibility of the departments having line authority to retain the employees. If HR is considered for recruitments, then to see to it that the employee is given enough space to adjust in the organisation is the responsibility of the respective department/s.
    And monetary gains are not always the reason for the employee separation, but other factors like psychological, social, emotional issues, along with the company culture and job-ownership provided to the employee, also play a very significant role. Answered by Namanpreet Kochhar , Fresher at Education Institute | 12, Mar 2010 08:16 PM
  • Dear Bharti Mittal,

    Yes! if you consider HR as a partner in business. Ultimately, HR is the department involved in functions whichever is related to manpower / issues related to manpower. HR is responsible for complete cycle from entry to exit, hence need to take stock of the situation and suggest corrective measures in retention. When HR can't control the attrition, we have to Manage the attrition, whatever may be the situation, it is the cahllege for HR to take corrective steps and HR is accountable for the same.

    There may be many other factors influencing the attrition, at the end it is HR will have to step in and prevent the damages.

    Thanks Answered by Divaspati Bhat , Jt. AGM -HR & A at Construction Company | 12, Mar 2010 08:12 PM
  • Certainly, high attrition rate is not just an HR challenge, but for an organisation as a whole.
    As in HR department has a staff authority, thus partly its the responsibility of the departments having line authority to retain the employees. If HR is considered for recruitments, then to see to it that the employee is given enough space to adjust in the organisation is the responsibility of the respective department/s. Answered by Namanpreet Kochhar , Fresher at Education Institute | 12, Mar 2010 08:09 PM
  • Human Resources Management is a human function and human tends to err as it is said that "to err is human and to forgive divine. Beleive me, there is "caste" & "creed" nexus with attrition rate. In a country like India, "caste" & "creed" helps the people to make a change in their jobs in the guise of existing reservation for SC/ST/OBC. The HR job facilitates this caste nexus. Any objection? Answered by Ajay Kumar | 12, Mar 2010 03:08 PM

  • Dear Mr Mittal,

    If is often said the employees leave their Manager not their organisation.
    ...See More Answered by Karthik Nellaiappan , Assistant Manager at Accenture Services Pvt. Ltd | 12, Mar 2010 08:31 AM
  • Human Resources is an HR function. The changing trends have to be forseen by all in business including finance & production., HR cannot absolve itself from this vital function. HR must concentrate on strategies to retain and emphasise on sucession planning for all its key personnel.Its unfortunate that the priorities of HR remain the same, whereas they need to change with the situation.Today HR is still more involved with the same fields as it was earlier.They have to change their priorities and emphasise this with their management. If need be outsource facilities management and recruitment and concentrate more on retention and on keeping track of the pulse of its key employees, CONCENTRATE ON RETENTION and let some of the tasks ...See More Answered by PRAVIN OBHRAI , Principal Consultant/ Visiting Faculty at Great Minds Services | 11, Mar 2010 08:20 PM
  • High attrition rate is a matter of concern being generated out of job dissatisfaction and lack of trust between the management and employees. The resource output is processed through productivity that channelized through skill operation. They are mainly exhibited at the work station which are controlled and directed by the operational/line leaders too besides HR department. Line functions hold major role in any operational activity hence challenges for high attrition control lies with people responsible in the areas other than HRD.
    Pradosh Mishra Answered by Pradosh Mishra , Consult Head & CEO at Talent India Solutions | 11, Mar 2010 04:13 PM
  • I consider attrition as an organizational or business issue rather than an HR issue. The right strategy for HR should be two pronged 1. We should understand and accept that attrition is part of life and it is here to stay. Instead of just focusing on controlling attrition we should gear up to ensure that we as organization could get best of the performance from employees while they are with us. All our HR processes and systems should be geared towards it. 2) The line managers should be groomed on leadership qualities and these competencies should be a deciding criteria for promotion. HR should be a change champion who would orient line managers in HR philosophy an build a leadership which would bond with the talented employees. I ...See More Answered by Dr. Soniya Yadwadkar , Managing Director at Spice Consulting Private Ltd. | 11, Mar 2010 02:50 PM
  • Why do people leave jobs?-for the mere sake of money or better opportunity! It may be possible that some people do not get adjusted to circumstances or may be they do not find acceptance. Leave apart, \"caste\" plays a crucial role in deciding the attrition?? That may not be for technical jobs, but true in case of many job profiles. Hang on \"caste\" to avoid attrition problem. Answered by AJAY KUMAR | 11, Mar 2010 01:43 PM
  • Majority of problems / issues remain unsolved or unresolved beacuse of the departmental boundaries, where as it is possible to address any challange through a crossfunctional approach. To address the challange of attrition, the cross functional team can be lead by HR. It is KRA of HR department effectively capture people perceptions about various things, apart from capturing the present as well as future needs & expectations, and see to it that issues are addressed and closed at right time. Alarming rate of attrition is a demand and supply issue. The attrition rate is nominal in organisations where People Satisfaction is as important as Customer Satisfaction. The sooner this is understood the better it will be for organisations, ...See More Answered by Arvind K Shukla , Group Vice President at JBM Group | 11, Mar 2010 01:34 PM
  • The changing generation mentality is the closest that I get to in terms of digging for root causes for this symptom. First it’s important to qualify this situation as a symptom and not a syndrome. We all need to digest the fact that the loyalty which employers enjoyed few decades ago is becoming just a distant memory. Using models developed based on research done using Gen X or Gen Y may not really be fitting to the current context. In a way this trend which is almost a phenomenon is opening our eyes to relook at the way we run businesses.
    First and foremost we will have to redefine the role of strategic human resource management in organizations. Apart from few companies, many have failed to comprehend the real meaning and ...See More Answered by Dinuka Pattikiriarachchi , Head of HR at Richardson Projects Pvt Ltd | 11, Mar 2010 12:50 PM

  • Dear Bharti:

    There are many type of caste-ism activities prevalent with either the presence of HR or absence of it in organisations:-
    ...See More Answered by AJAY KUMAR | 11, Mar 2010 12:37 PM
  • Dear Bharati,

    Attrition is not an HR challenge but an organization challenge. We normally see that the youth of today are bit restless and love to grow at a faster pace, hence keep changing the jobs because there are opportunities outside. In today's business sceenario the stress is very high, everyone need to perform daily, every employee is being watched by his/ her supervisor. The boss is always in an audit mode, where has he time to love others. The care has disappeared form the business in mid ninety may be due to globalization and this run across the entire organization. HR should never be made responsible for employee attrition because they have least engagement with the employees. I feel it is the line managers who ...See More Answered by Mammen Jacob , Vice-President at Tata Chemicals Limited | 11, Mar 2010 10:32 AM

  • Circular Path of Caste-ism through HR or absence of HR

    (1) Undoubtedly higher castes people facilitate their fellow caste men during personal interviews, examinations, jobs and in several ways & means. That is the reasons many people scream for their surnames and emphasize on it.
    ...See More Answered by Ajay Kumar | 11, Mar 2010 10:13 AM
  • Though not, but always HR is blamed for it...HR could use the Harvard model of Human Resource Management to cope up with this challenge,... Answered by Vijay Gondalia | 11, Mar 2010 09:17 AM

  • That is a question facing every top level executive.

    But there are two things which can take care of this problem :
    ...See More Answered by Ashok Shukla , CEO at SPA Group of Enterprises | 11, Mar 2010 03:22 AM
Comments (1)
  • Thats a fabulous point sir.

    Chaitanya....     Commented by krishna chaitanya, Asst Manager-Telecom & FMCG Recruitment at OPTIMUS HR | 700 days ago
  • Yeah It's challenge for organization not limited to hr only. Answered by Amit Kumar , National Head at UHNI Global (p) Ltd. | 11, Mar 2010 12:47 AM
  • High Attrition is the organisation challenge and not limited to HR only.It is the leadership issue at all the levels resulting into high or low attrition. Answered by Virendra Bhandari , CFM at New Horizons-UAE | 10, Mar 2010 06:19 PM
  • Hi,

    If you need to answer this, you would have to delve into the responsibilities of an HR in a company. I would say it certainly has been stated as one of the main responsibilities of an HR in any Organization, though the reasons for Attrition may be many and from various quarters. HR is the backbone of any Organization on which the management and the employees lean on. Hence it is a challenge to be faced by the HR to find out the reasons, resolve them and curb Attrition. Answered by Barathi Kannan , Manager, Indian Operations at Maars Resources | 10, Mar 2010 03:29 PM
  • Hi,I would definitely say no. Though HR plays a important and pivotal role in any organization,but mostly it depends on the team leaders of particular departments,were in the employees are more closely bonded with the leaders.

    Moreover most of the organisations are forgetting the power of recognition for there employess which is a major reason of attrition. Answered by Navnita Pattnaik , Head Corporate Communications at Management Institute | 10, Mar 2010 03:22 PM
Comments (1)
  • Hi,
    Since this topic has come through Ms Navnita, I would like to put it as a comment. While most of the HR people argue that it is not their responsibility, they cannot leave away from that situation. Attrition is an impact or result of various factors such as Career growth or career path (within the organisation), Recognition for work done, Learning opportunity, Job security, Nature of job(Right person for the right job), Competitive remuneration, Work environment, Immediate manager & Unit head, space for balancing work life & personal life AND the list goes on. Even though the HR in many organisations are not directly involved and empowered to control the situation, it plays a major role in Employee motivation & Employee satisfaction. Moreover, HR is the bridge between the management and employee. So, an empowered HR would be able to control attrition level within the the limit. I think, the topic itself is a vast one to discuss here..     Commented by B L Benny, Office Superintenedent & Secretary at Wilbur Smith Associates | 701 days ago
  • NOT AT ALL,, THOUGH HR PLAYS THE PIVOTAL ROLE BUT IT TIS THE WHOLESOME EFFECT OF THE ORGANISATIONAL POLICIES , PROCEDURE, ENVIRONMENT, WORK CULTURE. Answered by Arijit Bhowmick , HR -manager at Astha Placement Services | 10, Mar 2010 03:04 PM
  • my first and heartfelt response was: no! i would put that kind of responsibility firmly with leadership at the various levels but ending right at the stop. so i very much agree with Ajay Chaudhari who said that people join companies but leave leaders (i would say 'leaders' rather than 'managers'). this belief builds on 18 years of thinking and trying to understand why some organisations are more innovative than others, and having come to the conclusion that it has all to do with the kind of tone, atmosphere created, and most imporantly, example given by an organisation's leadership. the challenge for HR then is, perhaps, to think about how they can help leadership understand their critical influence on atmosphere, culture and ...See More Answered by Bettina von Stamm , Director & Catalyst at Innovation Leadership Forum | 10, Mar 2010 02:39 PM
  • Attrition to being with becomes the HR concern, but if we deep dive into the issue, kind of do a RCA, we will know that it is an organsiation issue. the loss of the org is much bigger than the HR or the manager or business.
    The knowledge gained in all these years by an employee is lost (both the tacit + actual- domain + product ) knowledge.
    it has also been proven mathematically that the cost of new hire is much more than the retention.
    The problem cannot be resolved alone by HR or by Business or by Manager. there needs to be collabrative effort in retaining the employee. Also alone HR policies cannot retain an employee there has to be manager touch point, mamager commuication to do so. Answered by Anagha Kumar , Senior Human Resource Generalist at Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab (HTSL) | 10, Mar 2010 12:38 PM
  • Attrition due to:

    1. Job insecurity,
    2. Competetive Salary & Pearks,
    3. Career Plan,
    4. Retention Policy,
    5. Nature of Job,
    6. Environmental Issues;
    7. Work Life Balance,
    8. Activities other than routin jobs;
    Actuly attrition is not an issue, its final fruit of cultivation of mentioned above seeds, Answered by Yogesh Dave , Executive at Apollo Tyres Limited | 10, Mar 2010 12:35 PM
  • No Attrition is not a Challenge for HR alone . few reasons for attrition,
    # Immediate supervisor or the manager
    #work stress
    # Internal politics
    # No hike or recognition
    # no support from the management
    # somebody else taking the credit for ur work
    # lack of growth opportunity
    These are certain things which i have seen myself and as a Hr the rights are limited .when somebody comes and complains about their manager we are not in a position to take decision , mistakes would be at the manger or the team leads end and put the blame on Hr for attrition . The management fail to understand that retaining is better than hiring and training a new guy ,where in the cost is high and the process is tedious Answered by Padmapriya Ramalingam , HR at Vagus Technologies | 10, Mar 2010 12:33 PM
  • I don't think that attrition is the headache of HR alone, as more often than not, the causes of attrition is with day to day work, the superiors or the organisational culture where the employee works. Hence each and every member of the organisation contributes directly or indirectly towards this. There is no perfect way but the best thing to do is to practice core values on day to day basis and not just have them carved on the stone. Answered by Leena storewala , Team Trainer at Intelenet Global Services | 10, Mar 2010 11:56 AM
  • It is not the question of “Only an HR Challenge”, yes it is a HR Challenge since HR being the strategic business partner and role play in curbing attrition is of paramount importance. But HR has defined organizational boundaries within the frame work of policies, priorities efforts exercised by HR need to be equally strengthened and executed in the defined manner to achieve reduction in attrition rate.

    Purushottam Answered by Purushottam Jaipuriar , Sr. Manager at A Infrastructure Limited | 10, Mar 2010 11:51 AM
  • ITIS THERE IN EVERY DEPARTMENT OFORGANIZATION.HR IS ONE COKMON MEETING POINT FROM WERE THE NUCLEUS OF ALL POSSIBLE GROWTH ORIGINATES..PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE FACT WITHOUT HR NOT BEING IN OPERATION HOW DIFFERENT JOD ALLOCATION WOULD LOOK DISCONNECTED.HR HAS CAPACITY TO NOT ONLY CHALLENGE BUT TO CROSS ANY OBSTACLES WHICH COMES IN THE WAY OF SAYING NOT PERFORMING UNIT WE HAVE CROSS ALL THE HURDLES AND PEOPLE NOW REALIZE THE FACT IT IS ONE OF THE FIELD FROM WERE WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS.[DIPENDRA.Y.TRIVEDI] Answered by Dipendra Trivedi , HR CONSULTANT at DYT CONSULTANT[OWN FIRM] | 10, Mar 2010 11:49 AM

  • Dear Mr Bharti Mittal, I came across this piece forwarded by Col Iqbal Singh. Hope this answers your query.
    WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS ?
    - Azim Premji, CEO- Wipro
    ...See More Answered by N Srinivasan | 10, Mar 2010 11:00 AM
  • No attrition is not a problem of HR only. Many other factors are involved in the employee leaving the organsation. Work environment, attitude of heads of department, culture, compensation, compatibility, etc, all play an important part in retention. Answered by M K Mohta | 10, Mar 2010 10:57 AM
  • No. I disagree on this statement made. Attrition is not just the responsibility of the HR but also the responsibility of the functional Heads and organization as a whole. A lot of factors together lead to attrition like compensations, culture, work environment, motivation, company's performance etc.
    There can be a lot of debates on this statement made and endless arguments can go on but I firmly believe HR is not responsible entirely for the attrition as a whole.


    Rgds
    Riti Kakkar Answered by RITI KAKKAR , Consultant at Corporate Management Group | 10, Mar 2010 10:53 AM
Comments (1)
  • hr provides people as per requriment, and actualy people leave after having bitter experience from the concern department, then hr do maintainance job, . Commented by Yogesh Dave, Executive at Apollo Tyres Limited | 701 days ago

  • In my view, attrition is a consequence of mismatch of the employee aspirations and organisational capabilites to meet the same. The mismatch in aspirations can be
    1. Financial viz. compensation package.
    2. Growth factor viz. skills acquistion and nature of experince being gained.
    ...See More Answered by Neeraj Prakash | 10, Mar 2010 10:52 AM
  • In one way it could be attributed towards HR challenge. Reason is when the market wakes up, opportunites galore and naturally both freshers and lateral offers likely to go up. This creates a cannibalistic nature,. One has to be aware of such happenings and work out a strategic approach to mitigate the pains likely to have on the progress of the company at least in the short period less than 6 months. Answered by Jayakumar Kapali , Chief Executive - Projects and Technical at Indiadirect | 10, Mar 2010 10:21 AM
  • Attrition directly affects the overall working & culture of the organization. In this light I would say that 'Attrition' is a common challenge for all HOD's and the solution also lies in looking for a solution collectively. HR has to initiate this thinking in the organization and involve all stake holders in managing this challenge. Normally HR is put under pressure to address attrition issues and ensure adequate human resource which is quite natural and expected out of HR Function. HR professionals can share this pressure with all stake holders with their involvement in looking for a solution. Answered by RAJEEV SHARMA , Manager at NTN Manufacturing India Pvt. Ltd. | 10, Mar 2010 09:50 AM
  • It is a joint responsibility of Management including HR to provide the enabling, encouaging, recognising and challenging environment to the employees. Recognition and rewards are very important towards a successful retention effort. Answered by HIS Aurora , President (Administration) at Vindhya Telelinks Limited | 10, Mar 2010 09:38 AM
  • It can be among the Top 3 Major HR Challenge and not a single alone challenge besides there are other challenges also for the HR Like Organisational Development, Growth and Development of Individual, Performance Management, Training and Continuous Development of Employees, Rewards and Recognition, Culture Change, Employee Satisfaction and Engagement etc also pose challgenge for the HR. Answered by Gagan Sahni , A at Mitsubishi Corporation India Private Limited | 10, Mar 2010 08:41 AM
  • Let us keep rhetorics away from HR. We all know in general how much HR is empowered in indian organisations. Attrition is not only the problem of HR. You can't view this function in isolation. Success of any practice or policy in any organization depends how everybody from top to bottom is involved and committed. HR at its best can take care or employees, suggest transparent systems and practices it is for everybody to ensure that each of their action adds to the culture of the organization in positive way. Attrition is a result of many factors which may not always be in control of HR. Every body in the organization has to take joint responsibility to handle this issue.
    Anil Kaushik
    Chief Editor - Business Manager - HR Magazine Answered by anil kaushik , Owner, Chief Editor at BUSINESS MANAGER-HR Magazine | 10, Mar 2010 07:38 AM
  • Hi Bharti - no - attracting is a bigger one and unfortunately most org,s leave it to internal HR managers to do recruitment - a function that can be and should be outsourced rather than payroll which is the "brain and body" of the company. cheers keyur thakore Answered by keyur thakore , President & Founder Director at KTA Associates - IIC PARTNERS | 10, Mar 2010 06:23 AM
  • Hi Sir
    As This is the first Responsibility of HR Manager to handle the organisation with every aspect and at every level. This is the Prime Responsibility of HR Manager to Tackle out the this disastic situation. As High Attrition Rate is not good for the Company as this creates more Enemies and more Complexity.
    Thus, HR Manager should handle this situation with a ease and should see that Best Talent should not withdraw and In the Organisation, Healthy atmosphere should be give given and all those efforts , but not upto highest level so as to reduce High Attrition Rate. Answered by KUNWAR RAJAL ARORA , H.R. CONSULTANT at Arora Consultancy | 10, Mar 2010 05:37 AM
  • Hi Bharthi,

    Interesting question and the answer also would depend on which side of the fence you are looking it from ;

    Inshort HR is always a partnering role and needs to own the strategic part of business from the people aspects of things.

    High attrition can have various reasons and it boils down to the maturity of the organisation / maturity of Leaders both HR & Line ( not trying to pitch one against other but the partnering aspect is being emphasised ).

    This clubed with the right HR Systems in place should be able to provide answers to arresting the problem.

    Rgds,

    Partha Answered by Parthasarthy SK , Senior Manager at HCL Technologies Ltd | 10, Mar 2010 01:59 AM

  • So, some practical things managers can do...

    • Be brave and ask people what keeps them involved and what threatens their involvement - know and understand the profile of employees and contractors
    ...See More Answered by Crispin Garden Webster | 10, Mar 2010 12:24 AM

  • Onn this issue of engagement, what we are talking about is how close do I feel to the organisation and what are my perceptions of how I am valued. These are things that managers influence - not HR. You don't need a lot of high priced process, nor do you need a consultant to borrow your watch to tell you the time. The simple truths about what keeps people engaged are these:

    1.Managers telling stories about the big picture - what are trying to do here
    ...See More Answered by Crispin Garden Webster | 10, Mar 2010 12:21 AM
  • Attrition and turnover occurs when people become disengaged or were never engaged in the first place. 90%v of turnover within the first 12 months is a results or poor induction or orientation – people never feel they have actually joined so it is easy to leave. This is a leadership issue not a money issue. People do not leave organisations they leave their manager. HR do not have much to do with this. The most important person is the employee’s direct manager. Unless this is understood, no interventions by well intentioned HR people will make any difference. Answered by Crispin Garden Webster | 10, Mar 2010 12:16 AM

  • This is not fair to blame only HR people only responsible for this very problem,however it is one of the biggest challenges of the HR people.In case of high attrition the entire organisation and the top management with the functional heads are mainly responsible.

    This issue is highly humane sensative and until and unless HR people and top management tackle this problem with humane touch ,it will remain be an issue and this costs more to the organisation .This can be tackeled only by applying the concept of human engineering.
    ...See More Answered by sanjiv singh , programme officer at district rural developement authority | 09, Mar 2010 09:49 PM
  • Certainly its not HR Cahllange alone but mcuh more a management Challange.
    A company with prudent financial management and agressive growth policies and requisite training and upgradation programmes for the staff and fair and just reward mechanisms in place is what is required and most of it is a mangement challane and HR is only facilitator in implemetation of larger management poklices and philosophy in practice for HR mangement. Answered by RAJIV KHANNA , DIRECTOR at HELLMANN WORLWIDE LOGISTICS | 09, Mar 2010 09:26 PM
  • Certainly it is largly HR challenge as Active HR can certainly take care of attrition to large extent. Primary reason is money and HR must take care that best offers, opportunities are given to employees Answered by Anil Bansal , CFO at Cocoberry Retail, Horizon Group | 09, Mar 2010 09:22 PM
Comments (1)
  • Attrition and turnover occurs when people become disengaged or were never engaged in the first place. 90%v of turnover within the first 12 months is a results or poor induction or orientation – people never feel they have actually joined so it is easy to leave. This is a leadership issue not a money issue. People do not leave organisations they leave their manager. HR do not have much to do with this. The most important person is the employee’s direct manager. Unless this is understood, no interventions by well intentioned HR people will make any difference.. Commented by Crispin Garden Webster | 702 days ago
  • Its overall responsibility of all, not only of HR. After selection & induction, the candidates are handed over to the specific department, further coaching, mentoring, grooming, retaining are responsibilities of the concerned deptt primarily. But yes, HR can find solution for attrition. It is responsibility of HR to check attrition. Answered by Rashmi Lall , Deputy Manager at Apothecaries Clinical Research | 09, Mar 2010 09:12 PM
  • there is one proverb in tamil. A good veena instrument is left to rot. Similarly HR selects good candidate and give to the line function. It is upto the function head to ensure that proper exposure, work content and future growth is assured to that individual. If that is not happening, attrition would be there. Answered by brahamanapalle Murthy , Manager Internal Audit at Ashok Leyland Ltd | 09, Mar 2010 08:33 PM
  • there is one proverb in tamil. A good veena instrument is left to rot. Similarly HR selects good candidate and give to the line function. It is upto the function head to ensure that proper exposure, work content and future growth is assured to that individual. If that is not happening, attrition would be there. Answered by brahamanapalle Murthy , Manager Internal Audit at Ashok Leyland Ltd | 09, Mar 2010 08:33 PM
  • Attrrition would be an organisational challenge , but to deal with this challenge is the HR department's role. As it is the function of the HR to manage people and to deal with any people issues, and not any other departmnet's function. Hence , HR in coordination with the senior managemnet should be able to tackle this issue. Answered by Lipsa Sahoo | 09, Mar 2010 08:16 PM
  • Hi Bharti,

    High attrition is usualy caused by various factors such as
    - working conditions
    -work profiles
    -leadership
    -employee engagement activities
    -work policies and their implementation.

    and several others, however as an HR you would need to keep track on these several factors and predict the attrition rate. although its a shared challange with other departments, however managing all of the comes under one huge umberella which is HR.

    There are lot of approaches which can be taken by Hr to overcome these challenges..

    People usualy play the blame game.. how if Hr can turn this around after all its Human Resources and all about managing it.

    Let me know if you need any help

    Regards
    Sunayana Answered by Sunayana Bhatia , AM - Transitions at Firstsource Solutions Limited | 09, Mar 2010 07:26 PM
  • If somebody has to reply in yes/no then he/she will be in dilema and most of the time you will find 'No'.High Attrition Ratio is the part of general line of HR and upto some extent this is HR challenge but if we talk about Consulting HR then 'High attrition ration' is no where responsible. Answered by Mukund Pandey , Manager at Brainsoft | 09, Mar 2010 07:13 PM
  • I dont think so. Even if the economy has bounced back, this is relative, people would leave for better prospects and there would be others who are wait ing to be hired too. HR plays an important role to be able to control the attrition rate. Attrition will happen...the key is how successful you are to retain your star employees and what measures you would take to give them confidence in you. And finally, if they have to go they will....but you can retain them depending on what strategy best suits the organisation. Answered by Rashna Iyer , Office Manager at 3P Consultants Private Limited | 09, Mar 2010 07:11 PM
  • No. It is an ego centric,economic and social challege also. Aspirations of a human being rise every moment whereas HR has to move within the constraints. Answered by LAJPAT RAI THAKRAL , GENERAL SECRETARY at Bank of India Retirees Association | 09, Mar 2010 07:09 PM
  • This will be accepted when H. R. is truly empowered to carry out the actual role for which it is there .mostly the position is not much to be cheered about .At times -which is generally ,finance and marketing people wield true powers;POWER THAT MATTERS -POLICY . Answered by chandra pathak , secretary at upmsra | 09, Mar 2010 06:59 PM
  • Any sensible person wouldnot blame HR solely for high attrition rate in an Organisation. Answered by a d | 09, Mar 2010 06:49 PM
  • YES Answered by Wasim Bari , ASST. MANAGER at Planet M Retail Ltd | 09, Mar 2010 06:46 PM
  • As an enabling function,HR can at best be looked at supporting the cause of employee development. As many surveys point out, most of the attritions are on account of the Boss- who is in the line function, HR hardly has any role to play excepting where it remained oblivious to the feedback of the employee and not addressing the same in time. Answered by Kannan Iyer , head at R(I)LTD | 09, Mar 2010 06:44 PM
  • The toughest concern for an HR manager is however the high attrition rate.

    In my words: (Total staff x attrition rate %) x (annual salary x 80%)

    •100 staff at 10% attrition means 10 people leave and are replaced each year.
    •A replacement cost of 80% of a salary of 25,000 means the cost of each replacement is 20,000.
    •The cost of turnover is therefore 10 x 20,000 or 200,000 a year.
    •The oncost to the overall salary bill is 8%.

    Saving 8% of salary costs would make the average HR manager a hero

    Quitely its a uniqely a toughest challenge for those who don't have any idea to make it happen.

    Thank you.
    Sai kishore. Answered by Sai Kishore | 09, Mar 2010 06:42 PM
  • High attrition rates are in areas where the demand for jobs are growing at a much faster pace than the supply of skilled and experienced workers in such areas of economic activities. This is not a problem or a challange for either HR department or other areas of management. The challange is to live with high attrition rates in the most cost effective manner. The economics of providing on the job training to many vis a vis paying high compensation to few have to be worked out continuously. The strategy of outsourcing has to be simultaneously pursued. Stock options could be one option for reducing attrition of the best guys/ gals. Competing has to be faced both in the market for products sold and procurement / buying of labor ...See More Answered by Basudeb Sen , Independent Director at South Asian Petrochem Ltd | 09, Mar 2010 06:42 PM

  • The Question that:-

    Is high attrition rate only an HR challenge?
    ...See More Answered by Narasimhan Brig Retd S L | 09, Mar 2010 06:38 PM
  • It remains an Organisational challenge to retain its people and HR only gets the blame for it . So it is also important that HR works with all the key stake holders i.e dept heads to make them aware of the changes in the economy , plus other organisational issues which has a direct impact on attrition and work with them to address them . Answered by Sunjoy Dhaawan , Sr.V.P & Head - H.R at Wadhawan Food Retail Limited | 09, Mar 2010 06:35 PM

  • This is a very pertinent question and especially because it throws light on some other issues which also fall under the purview of HR but are often overlooked due to socio - politic or other reasons.

    I completely agree with all the points raised by Mr Sanjeev Himanchali in his response below.
    ...See More Answered by Priyanka Gupta , HRM Consultant at Self Employed | 09, Mar 2010 06:28 PM
  • No. Hr is not the only department resposible for high attrition rates. its retention of employees is always high on the agenda. employees ( for the most part ) do not look at newer pastures unless they are dissatisfied. Financial benefits / rewards are only a part of satisfaction quotient. Happy at work, adequate feeling of being wanted, a work culture which allows for participation, supervisors genuinely concerned about welfare, quick response from P & A to greivences, a personal approach to ensure its not all work and no play. all this goes a long way. a happy employee is a long term employee should be the approach adopted by all. HR can and must create this approach. then retention is a breeze. Answered by Mandapaka Venkat | 09, Mar 2010 06:28 PM
  • the cause of attrition is not only the HR but the organization as a whole.the attrition factor starts from the day the employee is inducted. the induction training and the treatment vetted out to the employee from day one contributes towards retainability.First impression therefore is the KEY to this problem. It is well said"well begun is half done".The organisational development & managment strategy thus will play a big role. The selection process must aim at right person for right job. Answered by Dinesh Kumar Sawan , advisor risk & planning And Base Manager at Jubilant Oil And Gas | 09, Mar 2010 06:28 PM
  • the cause of attrition is not only the HR but the organization as a whole.the attrition factor starts from the day the employee is inducted. the induction training and the treatment vetted out to the employee from day one contributes towards retainability.First impression therefore is the KEY to this problem. It is well said"well begun is half done".The organisational development & managment strategy thus will play a big role. The selection process must aim at right person for right job. Answered by Dinesh Kumar Sawan , advisor risk & planning And Base Manager at Jubilant Oil And Gas | 09, Mar 2010 06:27 PM
  • I agree with the views expressed in preceding posts. What HR can possibly do as a support function is to (1) anticipate departures, and (2) minimize disruption of work in any department and arrange for short term cover for the vacancy or help in reorganizing manpower so that the vacancy is filled up. High attrition rate is a common problem in most organizations and is dictated by the ever-changing demands of the marketplace, and by people's desire to improve their careers. For key positions, succession planning has a definite role to play here, and should be the joint responsibility of HR & departmental heads as a corporate HR policy. Thanks. Answered by Dipak Thakker , Owner at Independent Accounting Professional | 09, Mar 2010 06:27 PM
  • No , Its not the fault of HR , Its the manager & company itself , HR work upon retention and for employees benefits but its the management who don't support them. We should work for employees benefits and make the work culture smooth , manager should be supportive , good compensation & Incentive should offered by the co. , , stronge HR , flexible policies . we can atleast try to reduce the attrition. Answered by Sakshi | 09, Mar 2010 06:26 PM
  • This is the biggest challenge for the whole organisation including the top management. We must have a pool ready to take care of such challenges . Though the cost of delivery will go up but at the same time service to the client will not be affected. But how much bench is a very critical question to be handled by respective HR manager & delivery Head. This cushion should be built up in the quote. Answered by Rajesh Gupta | 09, Mar 2010 06:17 PM
  • Attrition is one of the challenging business problem of all the comp's today,though it is not seriously considered in that sense by the Top mgtm.Many comp's treat HR as only a functional dept ,though it has a major role in running the business.
    'In this process, it is a usual practice to pass on the blame to HR for attrition.The day when human beings will be treated with love,value ,respect,fair returns & appreciations the attrition rates will fall drastically. Answered by Mahesh Shanbhag , Proprietor at Mangeshi Consultants | 09, Mar 2010 06:13 PM
  • High attrition rate is not direct challenge for HR professionals but for direct managers, department heads, team managers and also corporate management. Not many employees leave the organization because of HR policies. Employees leave the organization because of the behavior and attitude of their bosses. They leave because of inter-department politics. HR plays an important role in finding right talent for the organization but not all hired employees reports directly to HR. They don’t work for HR. Hence, department heads and team-managers are responsible for high-attrition rate.

    Kind regards,
    Sanjeev Himachali
    www.sanjeevhimachali.com Answered by Sanjeev Himachali , Headhunter and Management Consultant at The Global Headhunter and Management Consultancy | 09, Mar 2010 06:13 PM
  • Attrition rate is a normal phenomenon and if no one leaves the organisation, then there is something wrong with the concerned organisation and the persons working in that particular organisation. While it is treated as HR challenge to control, functional managers have a great role to play in keeping the workforce satisfied. If the attrition rate shows significant increase, the in-depth study causing it needs a thorough look for reducing exodus. Answered by Babubhai Vaghela | 09, Mar 2010 06:12 PM
  • Attrition is not one man's baby. it should be looked into in a holistic nature where all the factors of the industrial environment have impact on.This is from the CEO down to the supervisors who are all involved with the attrition.

    Hence its the organization , the policies, the management concerns on people, the peoples attitude that makes a total sum for attrition.
    Kind Regards
    Major M Rajendran(Retd) Answered by Major Rajendran Mariagnanam , Managing partner and CTO(chief training officer) at Brain Train consultancy services | 09, Mar 2010 06:07 PM
  • I feel the Management & HR are equally responsible for the high attrition rate. If HR is not able to help facilitate such a work culture where Line Managers take ownership of their respective team members, HR department is not effective. For this, again, it is driven by the Leadership. Answered by Bharat Chhabra , Manager at North Delhi Power Limited | 09, Mar 2010 06:05 PM
  • No, you can't blame only HR for attrition. There are many other factors which may be behind the attrition. Answered by Harinder Sharma , Manager HR at Vigneshwara Developers Private Limited | 09, Mar 2010 06:00 PM
  • Not really!
    In fact the Management, HR policies, Company Performance, Growth opportunities are responsible for separation. Answered by dhiraj sandila , Consultant at Klick4jobs | 09, Mar 2010 05:55 PM

  • Let us first accept one fact - to quote Mr Premji - People do not leave companies but leave managers.

    Once we understand the importance of this statement, we can direct our energies to constructively addressing attrition. In actuality, the HR becomes a whipping boy to cover the failure of other departments. HR is responsible for building the work culture. But on the shop-floor, nothing moves without the approval of the Production Manager, be it right or wrong. The authority is vested elsewhere, responsibility elsewhere. This is a perfect recipe for a snafu, creating conflict and pointing fingers at one another.
    ...See More Answered by Ajay Chaudhari , CEO at Adroit Consultants | 09, Mar 2010 05:54 PM
  • No not at all, I would say it's 60% bad boss, 25% Organisation and 15% of HR. Answered by Cheran Pradhani , Service Delivery Manager at Times Business Solutions Limited | 09, Mar 2010 05:47 PM
  • In my opinion its certainly not. Top management can not shirk off the blame of high attrition. HR ( Management & policies) is as good as the organization itself. The reason for high attrition need to be evaluated & corrective action taken. An organization with good HR policies, good working environment, competitive benefits & better future prospect will have a very low rate of attrition. Answered by Bharat Bhushan Singh , General Manager at S R OFFSHORE Pvt Ltd | 09, Mar 2010 05:45 PM
  • Primarily it is. It is the core function of HR to create a work culture that will inculcuate the desired behaviour in every managers of the organization who are also to certain extend responsible for attrition. The reeasons are many but HR could envisage and address these challenges to minimise the attrition. Answered by Satheesan Ganardanan , VP Strategic Alliances (India) at AREOPA GROUP International, Belgium | 09, Mar 2010 05:43 PM
Comments (1)
  • Dear All
    If the employee wants to leave the origination because of monetary benefits, and the management do not want to do anything to that employee, in this situation what HR will play a roll, Most of the companies having his problems, but still HR guys are working for Retation policy,.     Commented by K Prabakaran, GENERAL MANAGER-HR at ARVIND REMEDIESLTD | 702 days ago
  • No certainly not only an HR issue. It is a challenge for the entire management team and in particular to the division.location where the attrition is high. Employees leave an organisation because of its manager and not the company Answered by Derrick Mathias , HR Business Partner at ESTS | 09, Mar 2010 05:41 PM
  • ... Also an HR needs to question himself 1st "what makes him happy at work(apart from money) and what he likes/ dislikes about his company. He needs to first answer this, then go about solving the issues across organisation. Answered by Himmath HR Operations , Manager - HR Operations at Vaaya WS | 09, Mar 2010 05:40 PM
  • .... Most of the HR managers counter the attrition problem just by filling the gaps through recruitment. Its time we solve attrition issues by having an holistic approach considering all HR issues. Attrition is not only due to growing markets/ opportunities. We keep talking of attrition why dont we approach the same by talking about retention. Why are employees leaving, what is that the competitor or the next job offering, what are the causes, what can be done to give employees the best satisfaction, et al. If we look at google, its employee retention is very high. many of our HR Heads are shy to copy the systems and process or stretegies in HR from other companies.

    Our HRs are just living everyday, Firefighting. Good ...See More Answered by Himmath HR Operations , Manager - HR Operations at Vaaya WS | 09, Mar 2010 05:35 PM
  • I do agree with the fact that organizations should prepare for enough Manpower.
    But then employee retention strategies are formed by HR itself
    Problems will always be there but what we can do is
    Elect the right people through competency screening.
    Use psychometric tests to get people
    Offer an attractive, competitive, benefits package.
    Make clear of performance enhanced incentives and other benefits. Keep these promises, later.
    If we make sure to take care of few important things from our side, I am sure however is the market, we will be able to atleast reduce attrition

    Meenakshi - ABC Consultants Answered by Meenakshi Patangay , Associate at ABC Consultants Pvt. Ltd. | 09, Mar 2010 05:30 PM
  • Employee attrition has direct or indirect impact on the revenue of the company and it must be a key deliverable of the business leaders to minimize employee turnover. HR team should play the enabler role through appropriate talent management strategy and supporting business leaders in execution. Answered by Niroj Panda , Manager - Talent Engagement & Development at Wipro BPO | 09, Mar 2010 05:28 PM
  • Not at all!!! it is the responsibility of the department where the employee is currently at. e.g. since im from the contact centre industry, i solely take care of the 0-90 day attrition at my office, however, i cannot be held responsible if an employee does not recieve a good treatment by a trainer during his training period. Thus it is a joint accountability of every person involved in shaping that life to be an asset to the company. Answered by Priyanka Borde , Executive - HR at 3 Global Services Pvt. Ltd | 09, Mar 2010 05:24 PM
Comments (1)
  • Difficult to answer ... but for sure the responsibilities, we go through for PR with informal sector is a bit different ... indeed quite different .... Commented by Vighnesh Jha, CEO at Proletarians And Tinkers Horde(PATH) | 701 days ago

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