The Analyst's Path

Glossary

Attrition

M5.06

Also called employee attrition, staff turnover.

The rate at which employees leave, annualised. For Indian information technology services, 12% to 15% is normal and above 20% is a problem.

High attrition raises costs directly through recruitment and training, and indirectly through the loss of institutional knowledge on client accounts.

It is also a demand indicator read backwards. Attrition spikes when the industry is hiring, which is when demand is strong, and falls when it is not.

Read it against net headcount additions.