Retention curve

Definition

A visual representation of how many employees from a cohort remain with the company over time, typically plotted by hire date or tenure. The downward trajectory that makes CFOs weep.

Example Usage

Our retention curve for 2023 hires shows 92% retention at year one, dropping to 68% by year three.

Origin

Concept from survival analysis and actuarial science; adapted for HR analytics in the 2000s

Fun Fact

The steepest decline in retention typically occurs between months 6-12 and again around the three-year mark.

Source: HR analytics and talent retention measurement

Related Terms

Beginner

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Quantifiable measurements used to evaluate employee or departmental success—basically, the metrics management obsesses over while ignoring everything else.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

ghost job

A job posting that remains listed despite the position being filled, cancelled, or never actually available. The corporate equivalent of catfishing, wasting candidates' time on phantom opportunities.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

silent firing

Making an employee's job so miserable they quit voluntarily, thereby avoiding severance obligations and unemployment claims. It's constructive discharge with better PR, often involving workload manipulation, exclusion, or denial of opportunities.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

job posting

The public advertisement of an open position, often legally required even when there's already an internal candidate selected. Corporate theater pretending the decision isn't already made.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

retain

To keep employees from jumping ship to your competitors by offering just enough compensation, culture, or free snacks to make them stay. In HR circles, retention is the art of convincing talented people that the grass isn't actually greener on the other side. It's also what lawyers do when you pay them a retainer—essentially putting them on standby like a professional fire extinguisher.

👥 Human Resources

Advanced

Strategic workforce planning

A long-term HR process aligning future workforce needs with organizational strategy, including headcount projections, skill requirements, and recruitment plans. The art of predicting the future while knowing you'll be wrong.

👥 Human Resources

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