MRA survey shows high turnover for seasoned execs, new hires

A new survey from MRA – The Management Association – shows that while employers are reporting reduced turnover year over year, they also see a higher rate of departures among the most experienced executives.  The recent survey shows that of the executives leaving their organizations, 44% had 10 years or more years with their employer. […]

A new survey from MRA – The Management Association – shows that while employers are reporting reduced turnover year over year, they also see a higher rate of departures among the most experienced executives.  The recent survey shows that of the executives leaving their organizations, 44% had 10 years or more years with their employer. The survey also showed that the highest turnover rate among all types of roles was 38% for employees with less than one year on the job. 

“We’re seeing a wave of retirements across the board,” MRA’s Surveys Manager Brittany Rittershaus said in a news release. “Regardless of tenure at their organization, retirement was the top reason for turnover for executives. But we also see a wave of retirements in other roles as well, especially production, maintenance, service, and trades roles, where 45% of exiting employees cited retirement as their reason for leaving.” This wave of retirements, especially among long-tenured employees, could present a challenge to employers as they lose valuable knowledge and skills, the release said. When asked how they plan to address the issue, 52% of employers said they would invest in management training skills – a 15% increase from the 2024 Turnover Survey. MRA, the nation’s largest employer association serving 5,000 employers, has been examining the rate and reasons for turnover since 2010. Headquartered in Wisconsin, MRA has regional offices in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio. In the Quad Cities, MRA is located in Moline’s King Plaza on Avenue of the Cities.  

Supervisor dissatisfaction

The MRA Turnover Survey also showed a rising trend — particularly in Iowa and Illinois – of office employees leaving due to dissatisfaction with their managers or supervisors. The two states reported higher rates of these workers leaving than across all the geographies studied.  While 10% of all exiting office employees cited being unhappy with their manager as their reason for leaving, the rate rises to 37% among exiting office employees in Illinois and 50% in Iowa. Other types of roles, such as technical, managerial, or production/trade roles saw similar trends around this reason, the study showed.  According to MRA, leadership training can help employers mitigate employees’ dissatisfaction with managers or supervisors.   “Training in leadership, project management, critical thinking, and business skills isn’t just about skill-building. When employers invest in continuous learning, they’re closing skill gaps, reducing turnover, and building their next generation of leaders,” said Kate Walker, vice president of Learning & Development at MRA. “That creates a resilient, adaptable workforce positioned for long-term success.”

What employers can do

Losing long-term employees isn’t the only challenge employers face. Across all types of roles, the highest rate of turnover  – 38% – was for employees with less than one year at an organization. In production, maintenance, services, and trades roles, 76% of turnover was among employees who had two years or less. “We’re no longer in the era where employees spend their entire career with one organization, but that doesn’t mean rapid turnover is something employers need to accept,” Kathy Seidel, manager of Recruiting Services at MRA, said in the release. “Strong recruiting and onboarding practices are crucial for setting up a new employee for success. With many opportunities on the market, employees who don’t connect with your organization will quickly move on.” The survey also found that employers are looking to improve the new hire experience with 58% planning to improve orientations/on-boarding. Another 39% plan to improve their talent acquisition practices – a 14% increase from last year. “We’re seeing a lot of movement when it comes to how employers are responding to turnover in their organizations,” Ms. Rittershaus said. “From new hire practices to career and succession planning, employers are making changes that emphasize retention and employee development.”  For more on the Turnover Survey, visit https://mymra.org/turnover2025.