Let's Talk About Attrition

Let’s Talk About Attrition

So you've graduated from school. You are recruited by several major companies who want you to be their newest star. You hear all the good things about each company, and how they are the best for you. After being courted, you pick what you feel is the number one opportunity for you. You accept a position. You go through the honeymoon period. Months go by, and you settle in with the good and the bad. You see the company make a couple cutbacks for high salary positions. But you notice something else that you don’t know what to make of. People are leaving for other opportunities. It’s so frequent, that management calls a meeting to address it. You don’t know what to make of it. Why would people leave such a great company in bunches? Should I be concerned about my choice to work here? What’s going on?

Attrition, that’s what’s going on.

Definition

Attrition – 1) a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, and strength, 2) a wearing away or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment, 3) a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced.

How to Deal with Attrition

1. Don’t Panic

It may rattle you to see several people leaving from a company you just started working for. When people leave, you become more valuable. Your company is more concerned about stopping the lost of people and increasing company morale. So relax, keep your composure, and work harder to be on the radar for more responsibilities

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2. Take Advantage

When people leave, look at it this way, “More work for me.” From my personal experience, I've stuck around and moved up very fast in a company with a high attrition rate. I moved into a management position in a recruiting department with less than a year of experience and no education in the field. I had the gift though. I thrived in the position. You are a special person if you can thrive in a demanding work environment.

3. Continue to Gauge the Work Environment

So part of the definition states, “as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced.” This is important to observe. What is the true workload of the company when people can leave and there is no need to fill their position? Even more concerning, is there additional work from their departure? Where did those 40 hours a week go? Leadership will lie about having “All this work” in the pipeline to ease people’s concerns. Or maybe the work is a little down the road. Seek a definitive projection of work.

4. Maintain and Expand Your Network

This is bullshit, but companies often paint people who leave as traitors. They will discredit their honesty and loyalty. Bitter leadership will discourage people from talking to people who departed. Listen! People that leave are assets to you. If they leave to work for a better company, then that could be an opportunity for you to do the same. Be wise in your communication, but keep in touch. Sometimes is wise to wait a couple weeks until you see how your former co-worker is doing. I've had to lie and say that I was no longer in contact with former co-workers. I then had to go on Facebook and untag myself from their wedding the weekend before.

Every design firm is different. The only way you will know about other experiences and opportunities is through networking.  I had an internship experience that made me want to quit engineering. Had I endured, stayed longer, played the game, I probably would have had a better experience with the same engineering firm. I still have friends that work there, You can ask those questions with other professionals that you can’t ask at work. Here are some things you may want to know about other firms.

• Mentorship
• Workload
• Company Morale
• Team building

This info can come from just letting your associates talk. If your friend is not happy with his/her job, then that will put job opportunities in perspective for you. I personally would love more mentorship, so I ask my associates about how senior level staff provides feedback or instructions. You always have to look out for yourself, and do what is best for you. Be prepared.