This article, by Bryan A. Gardner, University of Texas School of Law, was recently published in the American Bar Association Journal. Some companies are so focused on retaining employees that they employ experts to figure out, statistically, which workers are most likely to leave.
Employers such as Wal-Mart and Credit Suisse Group use the analytics to warn managers about possible workplace “flight risks” so they can boost retention efforts, theWall Street Journal reports.At Credit Suisse, employees are more likely to leave if they work on large teams with low-rated managers, the story says. At Box Inc., a worker’s pay or relationship with his or her boss matters less than feeling connected to a team.Data scientists have also discovered employees who spend less time with colleagues and at work events are more likely to leave, as are employees who waive benefits coverage. The median tenure for all workers at least 16 years of age is 4.6 years with their present employer, according to the Wall Street Journal.Professor Bryan A. Garner is President of LawProse, Inc. in Dallas. He is the editor in chief of Black’s Law Dictionary and the author of over 20 books on language and writing.