Last updated April 11, 2025

Regrettable attrition is concentrated among high performers in their second year

Why It Matters

Your highest-performing employees are leaving at a critical inflection point - the 12-24 month tenure window when they have ramped fully and are delivering maximum value. Losing these employees costs 150-200% of salary in replacement and lost productivity, and signals systemic issues with career development and manager support that will compound over time.

How We Uncovered This

Data Sources

  • • HRIS Data - Tenure and Termination Analysis (2024-2026)
  • • Lattice Performance Management - Performance Ratings (2023-2026)
  • • Exit Interview Data - Qualitative Themes (Q1 2024 - Q1 2026)
  • • Employee Engagement Survey - Career Development Items

Methodology

We cross-referenced HRIS termination data with Lattice performance ratings to identify patterns in regrettable attrition. We defined regrettable attrition as voluntary departures of employees rated 'Exceeds Expectations' or 'Outstanding' in their most recent review cycle. Exit interview themes were coded and analyzed to identify root causes.

Key Findings

  • • 68% of regrettable attrition occurs between months 13-24 of tenure - 2.3x higher than industry benchmark
  • • High performers cite 'lack of clear career progression' as primary reason in 72% of exit interviews
  • • Employees who leave report 40% fewer development conversations with managers than those who stay
  • • Second-year employees who receive a promotion or significant role expansion have 85% lower attrition
  • • Teams with structured 1:1s and career pathing discussions retain high performers at 2x the rate
  • • Exit interviews reveal a consistent theme: expectations set during hiring are not met by month 18
Related Benchmarks

Second-Year Regrettable Attrition Rate

Retain

High performer attrition in year two is nearly double the peer benchmark

Your Score: 18.2%
Peer Average: 9.4%
Below Average

Onboarding Program Maturity

Develop

Onboarding programs lack structured career expectation-setting and 90-day check-ins

Your Score: 52%
Peer Average: 71%
Below Average

Career Development Conversation Frequency

Develop

Managers conduct far fewer career development conversations than peer organizations

Your Score: 1.2x/year
Peer Average: 3.8x/year
Below Average

Internal Mobility Rate

Develop

Employees have fewer opportunities to grow into new roles internally

Your Score: 8%
Peer Average: 15%
Below Average

Manager Effectiveness - Development Support

Develop

Managers score lower on supporting employee growth and development

Your Score: 58%
Peer Average: 74%
Below Average