BY Kathy Crosett
The labor market has changed significantly in the past 12 months. Employee turnover has dropped as people job-hug. But the latest research shows that some employees continue to leave organizations. Businesses should understand what’s driving these departures and upgrade their employee retention strategy.
How many people are leaving their jobs?
Our latest research shows that sales managers experience about a 30% turnover rate annually. Even more alarming is the number of sales professionals who are actively seeking a new job: 40%.
These numbers are a bit higher when compared to other professions. Across all professions, AudienceSCAN data shows that 33% of currently employed individuals will be seeking a new job in the next year.
With the changing economic conditions, it’s hard to know how many of these job seekers will find a new position. Regardless, the levels of intended turnover represent significant disruption and expense for the average business.
Why do employees leave?
New research from hr.com, State of Employee Retention 2025–26, links turnover to these factors:
- Pay levels
- Management
- Workload
The same report points to a focus on compensation and benefits as the top strategy for 40% of businesses seeking to retain employees.
What do employees want?
Employers are making a bigger effort to track why employees are leaving. Company leaders believe team members depart for the following reasons:
- Better pay 71%
- Career advancement 66%
- Workplace flexibility 43%
But these beliefs may be slightly out of step with reality. Our research on sales professionals shows what could entice them to change companies.
About 50% would need a 15%+ increase in total compensation. 20% want more PTO and the ability to use it. 42% would move to a business that offered them a better position or the ability to make an impact.
What managers can do?
Managers can reduce turnover by taking several intentional steps. They can start with monitoring team engagement levels. Some of this monitoring can happen in regular one-on-one conversations with team members. During these meetings, managers should ask questions to learn about issues that could lead to a departure.
Skill development and career advancement
You may not be able to increase a team member’s pay or their PTO, but you can do something about developing their skills.
One sales manager told us recently that the top advice they had for new managers is “employee development is key.” Sales professionals are eager for skill development. Around 30% have taken training or coursework to develop their skills. Attending a sales-related webinar was on the agenda for 26% of sales pros in the past year.
Customized training
The training you offer your team members should be customized to their specific needs. You may know where you think your employees need upskilling. But getting objective data points will prove invaluable.
Ask your team members to take a sales skills assessment, such as the one available from TeamTrait. The results will indicate who needs more work on discovery and who should spend more time learning how to close deals. Providing customized training can be cost effective and increase loyalty.
AI and training needs
Sales professionals are also concerned about the impact AI will have on their jobs in the future. They’ve heard the statistics: A majority of B2B buyers will increasingly shift to AI tools in their buying process.
Make AI training a priority for your team. Your employees should understand how to use these tools to improve their workflow process and their efficiency. At the same time, they have to be mindful about accuracy and properly verifying AI-generated data.
Employee turnover is inevitable. But organizations with a strong employee retention strategy will keep their stars fully trained and engaged.
Image by Christina Morillo on Pexels.
