Plain-language questions
Ask for early turnover rate per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · HR
Early turnover rate: formula and example.
Early turnover rate is the percentage of new hires who leave within a set period after joining, usually twelve months. You follow a group that started in the same period and count how many of them left within that time. It says a lot about the quality of recruitment, selection and onboarding.
Early turnover rate formula
New hires who leave within 12 months ÷ all new hires from the same period × 100%
Worked example
In 2024, 20 people joined Acme Groothandel. Three of them left within twelve months. The early turnover rate is 3 ÷ 20 × 100% = 15.0%.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
A higher rate means new people leave soon after joining more often, so recruitment costs and onboarding time are lost. Look by role, recruitment channel and manager to see where it happens, and read the reasons from exit interviews. Compare cohorts with each other: the same period, different start years.
Pitfalls with early turnover rate
- Measuring a cohort before the full period has passed, so turnover looks too low.
- Counting fixed-term contracts that were always meant to end after six months as early leavers.
- Breaking it down by channel or manager with only a handful of hires, which makes individuals identifiable.
SQL & DAX
Calculating early turnover rate in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
SELECT date_trunc('year', hire_date)::date AS hire_year,
COUNT(*) AS hires,
COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE termination_date < hire_date + interval '1 year') AS left_within_first_year,
ROUND(100.0 * COUNT(*) FILTER (WHERE termination_date < hire_date + interval '1 year')
/ NULLIF(COUNT(*), 0), 1) AS early_turnover_pct
FROM employees
WHERE hire_date <= CURRENT_DATE - interval '1 year'
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;Hires = COUNTROWS ( Employees )
Early Turnover % =
DIVIDE (
COUNTROWS ( FILTER ( Employees, NOT ISBLANK ( Employees[TerminationDate] ) && Employees[TerminationDate] < EDATE ( Employees[HireDate], 12 ) ) ),
[Hires]
)In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate early turnover?
Take all employees who started in a given period and count how many of them left within twelve months. Divide by the number of starters and multiply by 100%. Wait until the full period has passed for the whole cohort.
Why do new employees leave so quickly?
Common causes are a wrong picture of the role, poor onboarding, a bad fit with their manager or a better offer elsewhere. Exit interviews and a check-in after the first few months give the best insight. Record the reasons so you can spot patterns.
How does early turnover differ from employee turnover?
Employee turnover looks at all leavers against the whole workforce. Early turnover only follows new hires and how many leave in their first period. That makes it point more directly at recruitment and onboarding.
Further reading
- KPI libraryHR KPIs: formulas and examplesHR KPIs cover staffing, absence, turnover and recruitment. This is sensitive data: show it only to people who are allowed to see it, and do not report on groups so small that individuals can be identified.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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