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Precision Workforce Mitigation in a Shifting Market

Challenge

A client was facing a surge in attrition driven by a mix of external and internal pressures:
  • Rising market demand for niche financial and technology skills
  • A new competitor is establishing an office nearby, actively recruiting top talent
  • Ongoing IT and Finance transformation creating uncertainty and fatigue
Rather than react with blanket retention strategies, the organization sought a data-driven, targeted approach to understand the root causes of attrition and deploy tailored responses.

Approach

We conducted a comprehensive diagnostic combining:
  • Exit interview insights and voluntary attrition trends
  • Engagement survey results
  • Demographic and skills data to assess risk profiles by team and function
We built employee personas based on the reasons for departure, segmented into three distinct groups:
1. Market-Driven Leavers
  • These employees were departing due to external demand and competitive compensation packages.
  • We supported a compensation benchmarking exercise to identify gaps and accelerate adjustments where necessary.
2. Competition-Pulled Talent
  • This group showed signs of detachment after competitor outreach.
  • We worked closely with HRBPs and leadership to conduct targeted stay interviews and implement recognition strategies to reinforce commitment.
3. Transformation-Affected Teams
  • Leavers in this segment cited lack of communication and uncertainty about their future
  • We launched monthly transformation updates with leadership visibility and established safe discussion spaces where employees could ask questions and receive clarity.
For teams not directly affected by the transformation but witnessing departures, we addressed “contagious attrition” by:
  • Equipping managers to lead clarity conversations
  • Reinforcing messaging on what was changing—and what was not

Outcomes

Within 6–12 months:
  • Voluntary attrition dropped by over 50%, even in high-risk functions.
  • Internal mobility and employee confidence improved, driven by transparent communication and leadership visibility
  • HR was recognized as a strategic partner—aligning workforce action plans with business priorities and gaining credibility through data-backed insights
  • The use of both qualitative and quantitative data enabled clear, outcome-focused conversations with leadership, reinforcing a culture of accountability and progress tracking.
  • The persona-based approach became a repeatable model for proactive workforce risk mitigation and signaled a shift toward a more mature, data-driven HR function.
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Industry

Pension Investment

Geography

Canada