Employee turnover, or attrition, is the shrinkage of a team when someone leaves. Retirement and moves to other opportunities are possible causes. A departure creates a hiring decision, not an automatic instruction to replace the person. section 4.2.1
Treat turnover as one of several hiring triggers, alongside project development and team exhaustion or back support. Use workload and capacity data where available rather than relying only on instinct. A departure is also an opportunity to ask whether the team should be reshaped. section 4.2 section 4.2.1
Before deciding whether or how to fill the vacancy, ask:
- What were the two most important things this person did, and how will they now be handled? section 4.2.1
- Which disciplines and levels of expertise have been lost, and how important are they to the team? section 4.2.1
- What knowledge of internal or client systems has been lost, and was it documented? section 4.2.1
A short-notice departure
When someone changes jobs, a notice period of roughly two to four weeks may leave little time to react. Identify the responsibilities, expertise, and system knowledge at risk before deciding what kind of replacement—if any—the team needs. section 4.2.1
