Attrition rate calculator
To calculate attrition rate, divide the people who left by your average headcount and multiply by 100. The total hides the useful part, though. Splitting resignations from exits you decided on tells you whether to fix retention or hiring, so this calculator asks for both.
Fill in every field to see the result.
How to use it
Step 1
Enter voluntary leavers: people who resigned or retired. Then enter involuntary leavers separately, meaning dismissals, redundancies and contracts you chose not to renew.
Step 2
Enter the headcount at the start and at the end of the period, plus the period's length in months.
Step 3
Read the total first, then the two parts. When most leavers chose to go, look at pay, managers and workload. When most were let go, look at how you hire and how probation runs.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between attrition and turnover?
Plenty of teams use the two words for the same number. Where they're kept apart, attrition usually means roles left unfilled after someone goes, while turnover counts every exit whether or not you replace the person. The arithmetic is identical: leavers over average headcount, times 100.
Should involuntary exits count in attrition?
Count them, but report them on their own line. Letting five weak performers go is a different story from five strong people resigning. Most boards watch the voluntary rate, because that's the one a manager can change.
How do I annualise a quarterly attrition rate?
Divide the quarterly rate by 3 for a monthly rate, then multiply by 12. A 3% quarter becomes 12% a year. Enter 3 as the period and the calculator does the sum. Because it's a straight line, one quarter with a planned restructure will overstate the year.