If you’ve worked for say more than ten years -as I have- you’ve probably had your share of people coming and going from one company to another. If you’re currently an HR professional, you probably are more concerned than people in the business. Your concern stems from the fact that high turnover can’t be good for any business.
As a company expands, high turnover is acutely worse than when the company is at a stabile state. When people left, they create a vacuum in their jobs. Unless the company actively carry out Succession Planning (unlikely- even the best run companies only place succession planning on the top jobs, not at all levels of the organization) then the vacuum will be bigger as more people leave.
These are part of growing pains, the painful process that a lot of organizations went through as they grow from a small organization to a bigger organization.
But the growing pains not only stems from people leaving. It also comes when people join the company. New people bring on their own values and cultures. Sometimes these are different the values and cultures in the existing organization. If the onboarding is not handled well, a clash of culturs and values may result. Gossipping, smear campaign and backstabbing are the common symptomps normally experienced by the new recruits.
The responsibility to reduce the pains lies with the Lifers, the people who have been in the company long. They should take under their wings, both new recruits and potential jumshippers. Guide them through the debacle with the kinds of wisdom and maturity which comes from years of service.
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