Employee Turnover in MFIs: Reasons & Remedies

At present day’s employee turnover is one of the challenging issues in microfinance sector of Bangladesh. Excessive turnover is not only pricey, but it can create a bad reputation in the MFI sector and among the job seekers. Excessive turnover may be harmful to an MFI's productivity if experienced and efficient employees are often departing and the employee encompasses a high percentage of beginners. The impact of turnover has received substantial attention by the senior management and human resources professionals of the sector. So it is time demand to know the reasons those influence employee turnover and also know the remedies how we can reduce the rate of employee turnover rate. So an attempt was taken by this study to know the reasons and remedies of employee turnover in microfinance sector of Bangladesh. The study found that the average turnover rate of permanent employees in nine reputed MFIs in 2012, 2013 and 2014 were respectively 13.79%, 12.74% and 10.96% and the average turnover rate of contractual employees in seven MFIs in 2012, 2013 and 2014 were respectively 25.43%, 21.92% and 15.93%. The major reasons for employee turnover are: salary and other financial benefit are comparatively less than other MFIs; terminated for corruption or fraudulent; terminated for violation of service rules; no overtime financial benefit; excessive working load; transfer to distant district from home district; for family reason; not having promotion after being deserve it etc. The key remedies for reducing employee turnover are: should fix up a competitive salary and other financial benefit harmonizing with the other competitor MFIs; promotion and salary increment policy should be transparent; should have provision of proper reward for good work and proper punishment for ill work in MFIs; should have financial benefit for overtime work; having automation and online network facilities in all branches; to provide necessary job related training to a new recruited employee; having facility of leave encashment; having provision of financial support or loan for employee at the time of his emergency, transfer to nearest district from home district etc.