Key statistics highlighting retention problems
- Highly engaged teams are 14% to 18% more productive than low-engagement teams, on average.
- Low-engagement teams typically endure turnover rates that are 18% to 43% higher than highly engaged teams.
- Replacing workers that leave costs one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary. Assuming an average salary of $50,000 that replacement cost translates to between $25,000 and $100,000 per employee.
Source: Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2021 Report
KEY FINDINGS FROM PERF SURVEY OF AGENCIES 2020-2021
- On average, agencies are currently filling only 93% of the authorized number of positions available.
- Among the responding agencies as a whole, fewer new officers were hired, and resignations and retirements increased in the 2020-2021 period, compared to the previous year.
- HIRING:The reduction in hiring was relatively modest, with a 5% overall decrease in the hiring rate among responding departments. Smaller agencies actually saw an increase in hiring, while larger departments experienced dramatic reductions.
- RESIGNATIONS:Increases in resignations were more significant. Agencies reported an overall 18% increase in the resignation rate in 2020-21, compared to 2019-20.
- RETIREMENTS:Increases in retirements were even larger. Among all responding police departments, there was a 45% increase in the retirement rate. (In small departments, a small number of retirements may result in a high percentage increase in the retirement rate. But even in the largest agencies, with 500 or more officers, the retirement rate increased by 27%.)
Percent change between time periods by agency size:
Agency Size Hiring Rate Change Resignation Rate Change Retirement Rate Change
0-49 3% (10.09 to 10.42) 11% (5.15 to 5.70) 49% (2.48 to 3.69)
50-249 8% (7.51 to 8.08) 28% (3.69 to 4.73) 59% (2.48 to 3.39)
250-499 -29% (8.10 to 5.77) 22% (2.81 to 3.42) 19% (3.23 to3.85)
500+ -36% (8.65 to 5.52) 21% (3.93 to 4.76) 27% (3.43 to 4.35)
Source: (PERF, 2021)
Source: Wilson et al., 2010