The 30th edition of Robert Half Confidence Index (ICRH) revealed details about the turnover rate, known as voluntary turnover, experienced by Brazilian companies in the past year. The survey showed an increase among companies that lost talent due to a lack of growth opportunities. Although it already held the second position in the ranking in 2023, the representation of this reason rose from 25% to 40% of responses in 2024.
The reasons behind voluntary departures
The survey included 387 professionals responsible for recruitment in organizations, and according to their assessment, the top five factors that most encouraged employees to resign were:
- Better offers elsewhere (71%)
- Lack of growth opportunities (40%)
- Salaries below market average (24%)
- Uncompetitive benefits (22%)
- Lack of recognition and rewards (22%)
More companies are experiencing turnover above 10%
In 2024, nearly half of the companies (44%) reported a turnover rate below 5%. Meanwhile, 21% of organizations showed rates between 5% and 10%, while 28% reported turnover above 10%. The remaining 6% were unable to respond.
“While there was an increase in the proportion of companies with indicators below 5%, there was also a rise in the number of companies with rates above 10%. These numbers indicate greater polarization: more organizations with low turnover, but also an increase in those with high turnover,” analyzes Lucas Nogueira, regional director at Robert Half.
High rates can result in the loss of organizational knowledge, impact on delivery quality, and wasted training investments. However, very low rates may indicate a scenario of complacency, which is also not positive.
Actions to mitigate turnover
Companies are adopting or planning strategies to improve employee retention. According to the interviewed recruiters, the top five initiatives are:
- Leadership training (39%)
- Offering team training (36%)
- Career development programs (35%)
- Improving working conditions and organizational environment (35%)
- Enhancing performance management (31%)
“Voluntary turnover is definitely a critical indicator for companies, but the real challenge lies in the extremes. A healthy level of turnover promotes team renewal and diversity of ideas, while very high or very low rates can be warning signs. The fact is: retention begins in the recruitment process, with the alignment of expectations from the interview room,” concludes the regional director of Robert Half.
