If you've sensed that more people have been leaving their jobs at Mount Holyoke lately, you're right. Human Resources Director Lauren Turner says that the overall turnover rate has risen from 8 percent in 1995 to nearly 12 percent this year, and staff of color have been leaving at a rate that particularly concerns Director of Diversity and Inclusion Rochelle Calhoun '83. Mount Holyoke's turnover rate isn't unusual; it mirrors a national trend in all kinds of organizations, according to Turner.
Calhoun noted that, while there's no reason to panic, the change is important "because Mount Holyoke doesn't have a history of turnover. The organizational culture has shifted from having mostly long-term employees to people feeling more mobile. This is the situation that the corporate world has been in forever." People at MHC are noticing it particularly because higher turnover has been rare here.
Calhoun and Turner have been gathering information on staff turnover since last winter. They've discussed with staff groups the work climate and culture at MHC. And they're open to hearing concerns and feedback from staff at any time. "That information can only make Mount Holyoke better," noted Calhoun.
An exit survey mailed to the seventy-five staff who left Mount Holyoke in the last eighteen months drew responses from about one-quarter of the recipients. The most common reasons cited for leaving were "better job opportunities" and "no room for advancement at MHC." The survey also asked about how satisfied former employees were with various aspects of their work environment, and what suggestions they had to improve the quality of work life here. An exit survey is now sent to all staff who leave MHC.
"There's no ground swell of people fleeing Mount Holyoke," assures Turner, who cited internal factors (including staff shifts and reductions and department reorganizations made to bring the College in line with the Plan for 2003) and external factors (such as changing demographics, low unemployment rates, and career development) as reasons for increased turnover lately. Low unemployment also means it takes longer to hire top-quality staff, so remaining staff may bear the burden of filling in the gaps for longer than was true in the past.
"We need to look at the causes of turnover and think about how to continue keeping Mount Holyoke a good place to work, and to acknowledge and learn from things that haven't been good for employees," said Turner. "Now more than ever it's important for supervisors to communicate, share plans and goals, provide opportunities for development, and work closely with their staff. Don't take for granted that people will stay here until they retire."
Turner and Calhoun will continue to watch turnover rates, encourage feedback from employees, and follow up on that feedback.
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