Calculating your employee turnover rate is a fundamental HR metric that reveals the health of your workforce retention strategies. High turnover can be costly, affecting morale and the bottom line, while low turnover suggests a stable and engaged workforce. This guide explains the logic behind the calculation and how to perform it using both our instant tool above and Microsoft Excel.
The Turnover Rate Formula
The standard formula used by HR professionals and automated systems to calculate turnover rate for a specific period (monthly, quarterly, or annually) is:
Formula: (Total Separations ÷ Average Number of Employees) × 100
Where:
Total Separations: The number of employees who left the company (voluntarily or involuntarily) during the period.
Average Number of Employees: Calculated as (Headcount at Start + Headcount at End) ÷ 2.
How to Calculate Turnover Rate in Excel
If you prefer to maintain your records in a spreadsheet, you can easily replicate this calculation in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Follow these steps:
Set up your data cells:
Cell A2: Enter the Headcount at the Start of the period.
Cell B2: Enter the Headcount at the End of the period.
Cell C2: Enter the Total Separations (number of employees who left).
Enter the formula:
In cell D2 (or wherever you want the result), paste the following formula:
=(C2 / ((A2 + B2) / 2)) * 100
This formula first calculates the average of cells A2 and B2, divides the separations in C2 by that average, and multiplies by 100 to get a percentage.
Interpreting Your Results
Once you have your percentage, context is key. Turnover rates vary significantly by industry.
0% – 10%: Generally considered healthy, suggesting high retention. However, extremely low turnover (0%) might indicate stagnation.
10% – 20%: Often the average for corporate environments.
Above 20%: May indicate issues with company culture, compensation, or management, though this is normal in high-churn industries like retail or hospitality.
Why Tracking Turnover Matters
Regularly calculating this metric allows Human Resources to:
Estimate the cost of hiring and training replacements.
Identify trends over time (e.g., is turnover higher in Q4?).
Benchmark against industry standards.
Assess the effectiveness of new retention programs.
Use the calculator above for quick spot-checks, or set up the Excel formula provided to track your long-term monthly data.