I see, on a near weekly basis, new research which shows that productivity is falling – or at best staying flat – in developed countries.

The seeming benefits of technology are not coming to fruition. So say the reports.

But I would argue that indeed we are more productive than before, but the productivity rates as a whole don’t reflect it.

So what’s going on? Well, if you look at rotation / turnover across the workforce (significant double digits across nearly every industry) that’s probably the problem and contributor.

As people move from one job to another we lose “productivity”. People backfill jobs, juggle two roles at once, and then new people start and they take time to get to know the role and ways of working. All of this contributes to lesser output.

So, before jumping to conclusions when you read the reports – give a thought to what could be underlying these issues. Few talk about it, and it seems to me a culture issue is perhaps underneath the surface. Better pay, more full filling jobs, enhanced career prospects, companies with a purpose….just a few of the many things which can help boost your retention and lower your turnover.