What is an appropriate benchmark for employee turnover? It is common practice to benchmark businesses against other businesses in the same sector further comparing company size and location. In addition, employee turnover, or attrition, rates are a metric that almost any company can get its hands on. Focusing on some magic numbers, we think that we can understand what is going on under the surface. Even though every organization is different. And that is the issue. The reasons for high or low turnover can be varied and contradictory, so, for me, good employer benchmarks firstly with itself. So, for example, staff may not leave because there is a very happy workplace or because they are complacent, overpaid and unemployable anywhere else. Or they might leave for reasons unrelated to your company. If your people's practices are in order, you will find the level of attrition that is right for your company, and the people who leave will be the ones you are comfortable replacing. You should know the state of play much better than a spreadsheet. You should know instinctively whether your turnover percentage is a manifestation of a good work environment or an underlying issue.