With employee turnover increasingly recognized as a strategic risk, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company has released new research to help organizations proactively retain key talent. The Guide to Assessing Flight Risk of Key Talent offers a practical, data-informed framework to identify early warning signs, understand root causes, and implement targeted retention strategies before critical employees choose to leave.
TORONTO, July 30, 2025 /CNW/ – As organizations grapple with restructuring, tighter budgets, and heightened employee expectations, the risk of losing high-performing or high-potential employees is more than just a challenge for HR – it’s becoming a serious concern for business continuity. To address this, McLean & Company has released research insights and expert guidance to help organizations understand and retain the talent that matters most. The HR research and advisory firm’s new guide, Guide to Assessing Flight Risk of Key Talent, provides HR teams and managers with a clear and customizable framework for identifying warning signs, understanding root causes, and developing targeted retention strategies to protect organizational performance and talent retention.
“Every employee departure has a story – but too often, that story is only told in the exit interview, or not at all,” says Molly Woudenberg, project manager, HR Research & Advisory Services, at McLean & Company. “This guide flips that narrative. It equips organizations to identify turnover risk factors earlier and respond with empathy, clarity, and action.”
Voluntary turnover continues to pose a serious risk to organizational performance. According to McLean & Company’s 2025 HR Trends Survey, organizations with low voluntary turnover (10% or below) were significantly more likely to report strong performance against their strategic objectives. Yet many organizations continue to rely on ad hoc or informal assessments of employee flight risk, which lack the structure and accuracy needed to intervene early, leaving leaders unaware until it’s too late.
McLean & Company’s research emphasizes that while some turnover is expected, a large proportion can be anticipated and addressed with the right data and interventions. The consequences of losing key talent extend well beyond hiring costs, resulting in lost productivity, specialized skills, and institutional knowledge. In a labor market where top performers have a range of options, the solution for retaining key talent has evolved beyond just preventing exits to creating conditions that make people want to stay.
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