Committee reviews strategic-plan outcome on employee turnover; county reports turnover improved since 2022

Administration reported to the Executive Committee on the strategic-plan outcome measure to reduce and maintain county employee resignation turnover at 15% or lower. Lance provided the most recent turnover figures and discussed next steps for analysis and retention efforts.

Lance said Marathon County’s resignation turnover rates were 18.6% in 2022, 11.5% in 2023, 13.2% in 2024, and the county is on pace for about 13.4% in 2025. He and HR staff noted tenure in the workforce has fallen: a smaller share of employees have 10 or more years of county service and a growing share have under five years of experience. Lance recommended drilling into departmental patterns, exit interviews and onboarding to address higher turnover among less-tenured employees.

Why it matters: Staff said turnover trends affect service continuity and training burdens and intersect with other county priorities such as public safety where recruitment and retention challenges are acute. Committee members suggested comparing county turnover with both public- and private-sector benchmarks, and examining department-level differences.

Next steps: Administration will work with HR to analyze department-specific turnover, review exit interviews, and consider improvements to onboarding and training to increase retention and productivity. The Executive Committee will monitor outcomes as part of the county’s strategic-plan closeout.