Culture and Turnover

February 17 2019
By: Terry L. Mathis

A recent client asked us to determine why their efforts toward improved company culture was progressing so slowly. Among several other factors we discovered was a high rate of employee turnover. Obviously, an inflow of new employees dilutes the existing culture and makes progress more complex. The amount of effort required to norm a new employee is significantly higher than for a more tenured worker. In this instance, the new employees had begun to form a sub-culture of their own, further distancing them from the mainstream culture of the organization.Culture and Turnover Because of the turnover rate, the organization had relaxed its standards for recruiting new employees and never really had any metrics for selecting new workers who were a good fit for the company culture.

One of the first factors to consider when working on culture improvement is the stability of the population. High turnover rates and low standards for recruiting into the culture can undo even the best efforts.


Terry L. Mathis

Terry Mathis, Founder and retired CEO of ProAct Safety, has served as a consultant and advisor for top organizations the world over. A respected strategist and thought leader, Terry has authored five books, numerous articles, videos and blogs, and is known for his dynamic and engaging presentations. EHS Today has named him one of the '50 People Who Most Influenced EHS' four consecutive times. Business leaders and safety professionals seek Terry's practical insight and unique ability to introduce new perspectives that lead to real change.





Subscribe to our newsletter