Written by Ann Barker, WorkInConfidence
You’ve just filled that key role within your business. You are confident that you’ve hired the right person. You’ve trained them, and they seemed to be settling in.
And then they leave – before they’ve made any meaningful impact.
But this is the third time this year! Why does this keep happening? What’s going wrong?
Sound familiar?
If your workplace feels like a revolving door, constantly spinning with people coming in through one door, and going out through the other, it may be time to look beyond recruitment strategies and ask the harder questions.
While salary, benefits, and career growth matter, one factor continues to push good people out of the door more than any other: culture.
Did you know that often poor employee retention rates can be driven by poor culture. If your workplace isn’t psychologically safe, no amount of talent attraction will save you, and your best people will keep walking out the door.
Welcome to the revolving door of workplace culture.
The Revolving Door Effect - When Culture Pushes People Out
Toxic culture doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it can be subtle, and in the form of:
- Micromanagement
- Cliques or exclusion
- Poor communication
- No recognition or feedback
- Bullying brushed under the carpet
- A general sense of “no one listens here”
In an environment where people don’t feel safe, supported or valued, even your most talented employees will quietly start looking elsewhere. You might think it’s a hiring problem — but it’s not about finding better people. It’s more about creating a better workplace where people will want to stay, and until the culture changes, you’ll keep refilling the same seat again and again.
A toxic or unhealthy workplace culture is one of the leading reasons people leave their jobs — and yet it’s often the least acknowledged.
Here are some of the Stats:
- 1 in 3 UK employees have left their job due to negative culture
- 75% have experienced toxicity — and 61% of those left as a result
- “People leave managers, not companies” — often cited but still true
The Hidden Cost of Replacing People
The cost to UK employers of replacing an employee varies, but can be anywhere from 30–50% of the employee’s annual salary — even before factoring in lost productivity. Costs include:
- Recruitment fees
- Onboarding time
- Training investment.
- Lost knowledge and client relationships
- The productivity dip that comes with every new starter
- Disruption to teams and lowered morale
Repeat that a few times for the same role, and costs can spiral. The disappointing thing is that many of those exits are entirely preventable.
Exit Interviews - The Missed Opportunity
Less than half of UK employers consistently conduct them, and only 45% of UK leavers are even invited to a formal exit interview, and when they do, the process is often rushed or impersonal. Why waste more time on someone who is already going, right? But leavers can be your most honest source of insight.
Exit Interviews tell you what data won’t. Without them, you don’t know why people leave. You need to face this so you can fix it.
Why are they really leaving? What could have made them stay? What’s going on beneath the surface? If you’re not asking, you’re missing a huge opportunity to spot patterns and course-correct before the next resignation letter lands.
What Can You Do?
- Start measuring culture and engagement through surveys
- Listen to your people -Improve the channels where employees can have a voice, and feel safe to raise concerns
- Train managers properly – They shape daily experience more than policies ever will — leadership behaviour is pivotal
- Conduct Exit Interviews
- Be honest about what’s not working – listen to feedback, lead the change
If your workplace feels like a revolving door, it’s time to stop blaming the people who walk out — and start asking why they don’t want to stay in.
Culture isn’t just about how things look on the outside. It’s how it feels to be part of your team on the inside.
Fix that, and the door may finally stop spinning.
If you want to discuss any of the above topics … please contact us
Email: help@workinconfidence.com I Tel: 0845 3831014
A safe and secure two-way anonymous channel for your people to raise concerns via phone, tablet, or PC, ensuring you are aware of any workplace issues and can respond quickly and accordingly
Easily set up, run and interpret surveys on engagement, respect, wellness or other topics to ensure you always understand your people, their needs and motivations.
A secure phone line with a dedicated Speak Up Guardian for your employees to raise concerns with. We also provide training in Freedom to Speak Up, Speaking up and safeguarding processes.