What does the term attrition mean, and what are the biggest causes of employee attrition rates?
Attrition is the speed or rate at which something declines. As an Internal Recruiter, you may hear the term 'employee attrition rates' from your company's leaders or HR department now and again. What this means is that a company is losing staff due to natural reduction including resignation, retirement, or relocation.
Keep in mind; this term refers to natural reduction. Employee attrition rates would not include mass layoffs for instance. Discuss with the interviewer that you understand what attrition means, and what the primary causes of employee attrition are. The hiring authority is looking for your ability to recognize and understand potential staffing pain points.
"Employee attrition rates refer to the reduction of staff due to unforeseen or natural circumstances such as increasing retirement rates. I have helped my employer overcome the downsides of attrition by working with them on proactive workforce planning. When we can see where our employee attrition rates are going, we can act ahead and plan, rather than being reactionary."
