The 30th edition ofRobert Half Confidence Index (RHI)brought details about the turnover rate, known as voluntary turnover, that Brazilian companies experienced in the past year. The research revealed an increase among companies that lost talent due to lack of growth opportunities. Although it already held the second position in the 2023 ranking, the representativeness of this alternative increased from 25% to 40% of the responses in 2024.
The reasons behind voluntary departures
The survey involved the participation of 387 professionals responsible for recruitment in organizations and, in their assessment, the five aspects that most encouraged employees to resign were:
- Better deals elsewhere (71%)
- Lack of growth opportunities (40%)
- Salaries below market average (24%)
- Uncompetitive benefits (22%)
- Lack of recognition and rewards (22%)
More companies have turnover above 10%
In 2024, nearly half of the companies (44%) reported a turnover rate below 5%. Already 21% of organizations reported rates between 5% and 10%, while 28% reported turnover above 10%. The remaining 6% did not know how to answer.
“While, on the one hand, there was an increase in the proportion of companies with indicators below 5%, on the other hand, the number of companies with rates above 10% also grew. These numbers indicate a greater polarization: more organizations with low turnover, but also an increase in those with high turnover,” analyzes Lucas Nogueira, regional director of Robert Half.
High rates can lead to the loss of organizational knowledge, impact the quality of deliveries, and waste investments in training. However, very low values may indicate a scenario of accommodation, which is also not positive.
Actions to mitigate turnover
Companies are adopting or planning strategies aimed at increasing employee retention. According to the interviewed recruiters, the five main initiatives are:
- Leadership training (39%)
- Offering training to the team (36%)
- Career development programs (35%)
- Improvement in working conditions and organizational environment (35%)
- Improved 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.
