BCG Henderson Institute

Attrition risk should be on every corporate leader’s radar. According to the BCG Henderson Institute’s recent survey of 1,000 office-based workers around the world, nearly half (45%) are at least passively job searching. This finding is even more pronounced among younger and more diverse populations, jumping to 51% for people age 25 to 34 and to 54% for ethnic and racial minorities. All industries are affected, but the travel and tourism (71%), legal (70%), food and beverage (67%), and consumer goods (67%) sectors face the most risk.

Of course, retention is a complex issue unique to each company. But the good news is that our survey insights also suggest a universal solution: doubling down on employee joy. As intuitive as it sounds, the concept of joy has often been left out of the discourse on productivity and retention in the business world. Indeed, while companies are becoming more attuned to issues of health and wellness and employee engagement, they often try to address those challenges by adding benefits without an exploration of the employees’ day-to-day work itself. Most company leaders simply aren’t thinking deeply—or strategically—about whether their employees find their work interesting, rewarding, or fun. It’s a blind spot that could result in the loss of key talent.

 

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