Because sometimes, your best data point is a gut check. Every HR dashboard shows the basics: turnover rate, time-to-hire, and engagement scores. But there’s a gap. Regret is one of the most human, high-impact signals that isn’t showing up in most reports.
And no, not employee regret. Your regret.
That’s where regrettable turnover analysis comes in. It helps teams stop looking only at who is leaving and start asking how much it hurt your company to lose them.
What Regret Really Means in HR
Not every resignation feels the same. Some are mutual. Some bring quiet relief. Others? Those sting.
Maybe it’s a high performer who didn’t feel seen. Or a manager who left right before their big promotion. That “we should’ve done more” feeling is regret and has real value as a data point.
This is where regrettable attrition comes in. It refers to employees who voluntarily leave and whose absence creates a significant negative impact on the organization, whether through lost knowledge, disrupted momentum, or missed future leadership.
Regrettable turnover analysis tracks how many of your leavers you truly wish had stayed. It helps you separate routine exits from meaningful losses.
Why Regret Belongs in Your Metrics
Turnover alone doesn’t tell the full story. A 12% turnover rate looks fine until you realize that most of those were top performers or future leaders.
That’s why employee regret metrics are essential. They bring emotional intelligence into HR data. And they push teams to act sooner:
- Re-recruit your high-potential employees
- Address slow-building disengagement
- Adjust workloads or career paths before someone walks
When used well, regret becomes a signal and not just a feeling.
How to Start Regrettable Turnover Analysis
You don’t need a new software platform. You just need to ask better questions during exit interviews and internal reviews.
Start by rating each departure:
- Not Regrettable: Performance or fit concerns were clear
- Somewhat Regrettable: Person was solid but replaceable
- Highly Regrettable: Loss significantly impacts the team or future pipeline
You can also track “internal regret”: moments when a high performer considered leaving or mentally checked out. These early signals matter just as much.
Over time, your HR data insights become richer. You’ll see trends in regret by department, tenure, or manager. That’s fuel for better retention strategies.
What Regret Teaches You That Other Metrics Can’t
Regret shines a light on missed opportunities. Maybe the person left because of slow internal mobility, unclear feedback, or a lack of recognition.
You probably won’t get that from engagement surveys. But you will hear it in an honest exit conversation. Or in a skip-level 1:1 where someone says, “I’m just not sure where I go from here.”
If your regrettable turnover analysis shows that you’re losing the same type of employee again and again, it’s your call to act.
Final Thought
Not all departures are failures. But some are. And if you’re not tracking regret, you’re missing the most human part of HR: the employees you didn’t want to lose.
Regrettable turnover analysis brings emotion and strategy together. It helps you focus your energy where it matters and on the people who matter most.
