For any business, seeing a certain number of employees move on to opportunities at other companies over time is normal—and at times, such attrition can even be beneficial for an organization. But when voluntary turnover suddenly spikes, it’s a clear signal that something deeper may be driving employees to leave.
Rather than treating it as a temporary blip, business owners need to take a closer look at what might be changing internally and how it’s affecting their people. Below, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council explore practical steps leaders can take to uncover the root cause, rebuild trust and reengage their teams before this emerging trend becomes a long-term pattern.
1. Reflect On Messaging From The Top
Reflect on the messages coming from top leadership. Do they paint a vision of success, and can you point to factors that show the business is moving in that direction? Have you delivered the culture you have promised? Are you showing accountability and sound decision-making? Asking yourself these questions will help to target where you may want to adjust and improve engagement. - Carolyn Moore, CultureFluence Consulting
2. Engage With Your Team
As a business owner, actively engaging with staff fosters trust and ensures they feel heard and valued. Regular interactions, including weekly meetings, help strengthen this connection. Employees should also know you’re accessible if they wish to share any ideas or concerns. - Dr. Demoine Kinney, D Kinney Research, Development and Consulting , LLC
3. Gather Feedback Immediately
Immediately gather feedback from employees through surveys, one-on-ones or focus groups. Understanding the root cause of the turnover is crucial. It could be a sign of disengagement, burnout or poor management. Addressing the real issue helps retain talent and prevent further loss, ultimately saving time and resources in the long run. - Anastasia Paruntseva, Visionary Partners Ltd.
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4. Conduct Rapid, Confidential Stay Interviews
Rather than waiting for exit interviews, proactively ask current employees why they stay and what might make them leave. This helps identify emerging issues before more people walk out the door. By listening and responding quickly, business owners can stop the bleeding and rebuild engagement before turnover becomes a crisis. - Curtis Odom, Prescient Strategists
5. Assess Turnover Rates Per Leader
Evaluate the turnover rate for each manager or leader. Turnover is often directly tied to the person’s manager, not the organization as a whole. It could be that the spike is due to a pocket of poor leadership in the company. Without this level of evaluation, a company could spend a lot of time and money trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist on a more global level. - LindaAnn Rogers, SPHR, sHRBP, CBC, Aspire to Align
6. Implement Leadership Competency Evaluations
Managers shape workplace culture and retention, making poor leadership a key driver of turnover. A Pew Research study found that feeling disrespected—a common issue tied to management—was a top reason employees quit. Companies can implement leadership competency evaluations to assess managers’ ability to engage, support and retain employees, ensuring a positive and productive work environment. - Michael Timmes, Insperity
7. Reflect On Your Mission And Values
Get curious. Chances are, if you take sudden turnover as a cue to rush to create a to-do list to solve it, you are missing the point. Take some time to reflect on your mission, vision and values and explore how you as a leader can better live them. Role model accountability. Sometimes the right people leave because you are doing well at living your values—and they no longer fit. Breathe. - Charlie White, Move Mountains
8. Critically Evaluate Internal Decisions
Take a hard look at critical decisions taken by the top leadership just before the spike. Turnover spikes aren’t reactions to opportunity spurts in the market. They are usually reactions to internal changes and culture. The decisions could be changes in policies, practices or even the introduction of a new layer or personality that has impacted working dynamics. Look within. - Dr. Chetan Walia, Chetan Walia Consulting
9. Check In With High-Potential Employees
Finding the root cause is mission-critical, so begin with exit interviews and listening sessions, and look for trends in the exodus. In addition to working to “fix” that problem, also reach out to your high-potential employees and those you’d hate to lose to see how they are doing. On top of that, be sure to support growth and development for all as a way to proactively avoid further losses. - Tami Chapek, WeInspireWe
10. Use The Onion Layer Approach
Turnover rates increase at certain times of the year—for example, once bonuses or increases in salary are paid, staff may leave to pursue other opportunities. Use the onion layer approach, starting from the outside and working inward. Understand what market and/or company factors could cause this, gain intel based on specific areas and roles affected and, lastly, talk to those leaving. Take remedial action thereafter. - Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory
11. Look At Industry Compensation Norms
Survey industry compensation rates. If voluntary turnover is on the rise, it may be a sign that you are no longer competitive due to your compensation, benefits or working modality. After all, in the current market, employees are often willing to work for less if they can work remotely. - Carol Geffner, Geffner Group, LLC
12. Schedule One-On-Ones ASAP
Have candid one-on-one conversations with team members as soon as possible. Ask them what’s working and what’s not. In my experience, a sudden spike in turnover is usually triggered by a specific person or event. Identifying and addressing that root cause quickly can help prevent further losses and reengage remaining employees. - Kelly Stine, The Leading Light Coach
13. Reconnect Through Conversations
When turnover spikes, don’t just analyze—listen. Drop the spreadsheets and step into presence. Hold space for real conversations. Ask, with heart, “What do you need to thrive?” Culture is built moment by moment. When people feel seen and heard, they stay. Reconnection is the remedy. Your teammates aren’t leaving the company—they’re leaving disconnection. - Alejandro Bravo, Revelatio360
14. Get In The Trenches
The hardest part of scaling isn’t growth, it’s trusting others to lead. But when turnover spikes, something’s broken, and it’s your job to get to the truth. Don’t rely on reports or exit interviews alone. Get in the trenches. Talk to your people, ask hard questions, and actually listen. Employees don’t leave jobs—they leave cultures that no longer serve them. Fix that, and they’ll stay. - Teegan Bartos, JYC
15. Form A Cross-Departmental Culture Committee
Form a culture committee that is made up of one person from each department. Peers trust one another and will be more open to sharing in committee than they would be in focus groups or via surveys. I implemented this strategy at one of my clients’ companies that had a high turnover rate, and we were able to significantly decrease it by implementing a culture committee that met once a week. - Gurpreet Mann, GKM Coaching
