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Here to stay or go? Connecting turnover research to applied attrition modeling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2019

Andrew B. Speer ,
Subhadra Dutta ,
Menghan Chen  and
Glenn Trussell
Andrew B. Speer*
Affiliation:
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Subhadra Dutta
Affiliation:
Stitch Fix, San Francisco, California, USA
Menghan Chen
Affiliation:
Twitter, San Francisco, California, USA
Glenn Trussell
Affiliation:
American Family Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: speerworking@gmail.com
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Abstract

Attrition modeling is a direct application of extant turnover research that can favorably impact workforce planning and action planning. However, while academic research enables practitioners insights into understanding turnover phenomena, there is no single document that comprehensively translates this work to give guidance as to the many practical decisions that must be made when modeling turnover, as well as how to apply psychological research to messier operational data. This focal article introduces and provides guidance on attrition modeling by outlining early considerations when planning a study, describing how to mesh theory with operational considerations when identifying turnover predictors within organizational settings, highlighting analytical strategies to model turnover, and considering how to appropriately share results. Collectively, this article serves as a guide to conducting attrition modeling within organizations and offers suggestions for future research to inform best practices.

Keywords

turnoverattrition modelingpredictionretentionbig data
Type
Focal Article
Information
Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , September 2019 , pp. 277 - 301
Copyright
© Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2019 

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Footnotes

We would like to thank the two reviewers of this manuscript for their insightful suggestions and improvements to the article.

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