Natural attrition

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Natural attrition
ˈnæʧrəl əˈtrɪʃ(ə)n (n.)

The dismal human resources practice of neglecting to manage out poor employees, and instead waiting for good ones leave by their own initiative, and then not replacing them, as a means to managing headcount.

For sensitive types who don’t like workplace conflict, a smashing idea. For shareholders, a terrible one, ensuring as it does the inevitable drift to mediocrity among the stewards of your capital.

A sensible human resources department — and here we are bound to say we are unpersuaded such a thing exists — would pursue the opposite strategy, devoting time effort and, if need be, money, talking good employees out of leaving and, and funding any such expenditure by culling the poor ones.

See also

• Mediocrity drift
• Lateral quitter
• RIF