TITLE:
Winning Ways HR Leaders Reduce Employee Turnover and Employee Replacement Costs
AUTHORS:
Karlita McClinton, Kim A. Critchlow
KEYWORDS:
Employee Well-Being, Employee Retention, Employee Turnover, Employee Replacement Costs, Cost of Turnover, Employee Engagement, Leadership Strategies, Sustainability, Social Sustainability
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.14 No.4,
July
1,
2026
ABSTRACT: Ineffective employee well-being strategies can contribute to elevated levels of voluntary turnover, resulting in increased employee replacement costs, lost organizational knowledge, and operational disruption. Human resource (HR) leaders who do not successfully develop employee well-being strategies may find their organization facing operational disruptions as a result. Grounded in social sustainability and the European corporate sustainability frameworks, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective employee well-being strategies used by HR leaders to reduce employee turnover and employee replacement costs. The participants were 10 HR leaders who had implemented effective employee well-being strategies. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and secondary data from publicly available sources. Using thematic analysis, six themes were identified: 1) work-life flexibility and sustainable work design, 2) well-being and psychological safety, 3) change enablement and communication, 4) talent growth and total rewards, 5) people-centered and inclusive leadership, and 6) data-driven feedback. A key recommendation is for HR leaders to position themselves as change enablers who align employee well-being initiatives with long-term organizational performance and social sustainability outcomes. The implications for positive social change include the potential for HR leaders to reinforce employee dignity, long-term employability, and economic security. The implications may also include career mobility, financial well-being, and inclusive economic participation, thereby advancing the economic prosperity of the inhabitants and the community.