{
  "rogueId": "hr.voluntary_turnover_rate",
  "slug": "voluntary_turnover_rate",
  "domain": "hr",
  "defaultLabel": "Voluntary Turnover Rate",
  "description": "Voluntary exits over a trailing period, expressed as an annualized percentage of average headcount — the headline attrition number on the HR scorecard. Anchored to the Mercer US Turnover Survey methodology (Mercer reports voluntary vs involuntary turnover annually). Common pitfall: comparing a single quarter's annualized rate against an annual benchmark — short-window annualization is noisy. Best practice is trailing-12-months for benchmark comparison and trailing-3 or trailing-6 for trend reads. Per #1426: stage-specific industry norms here are folk-wisdom unless tied to a specific Mercer or comparable published cut.",
  "fieldType": "percentage",
  "unit": "%",
  "maturity": "general",
  "suggestedForStages": [
    "seriesA",
    "seriesB",
    "seriesC",
    "public"
  ],
  "defaultOwningFunctions": [
    "HR"
  ],
  "stageRelevance": {
    "seriesA": "core",
    "seriesB": "core",
    "seriesC": "core",
    "public": "core"
  },
  "definitionSource": {
    "tier": "published",
    "sourceName": "Mercer US Turnover Survey 2025",
    "sourceUrl": "https://www.imercer.com/articleinsights/workforce-turnover-trends",
    "sectionRef": "Voluntary Turnover",
    "publicationDate": "2025-03-01",
    "attributionNotice": null
  },
  "benchmark": {
    "p25": 7,
    "median": 11,
    "p75": 17,
    "unit": "%",
    "sourceName": "Mercer US Turnover Survey 2025",
    "sourceYear": "2025",
    "higherIsBetter": false
  },
  "formula": "Voluntary Turnover Rate (annualized) = (Voluntary Exits in period / Average Headcount in period) × (12 / months in period) × 100. Average headcount = (start headcount + end headcount) / 2 is the simplest acceptable convention; (Σ daily headcount / days in period) is more precise. Per Mercer US Turnover Survey methodology.",
  "whyItMatters": "The canonical retention KPI investors and boards benchmark against. Tracks the cost of churn — every voluntary exit triggers a replacement-cost cycle (recruiting + onboarding + ramp), commonly estimated at 0.5–2× the role's annual salary depending on level (industry folk-wisdom, not citation-grade).",
  "interpretationGuidance": "US all-industry voluntary turnover is typically 13–17% annualized per Mercer US Turnover Survey 2025 (§Voluntary Turnover). Tech sector typically runs higher than the all-industry average; engineering and sales roles run highest within tech. Sustained voluntary turnover above ~20% annualized at any stage is a board-action trigger; sustained sub-5% can indicate under-performance management (managers not exiting B-players). Compare trailing-12-month rates, not quarterly snapshots.",
  "relatedKpiIds": [
    "hr.voluntary_exits",
    "hr.involuntary_turnover_rate",
    "hr.at_risk_count",
    "hr.retention_initiatives",
    "hr.talent_challenges"
  ]
}