Can a Voice Channel Reduce Turnover?
Evidence From a Cluster-Randomized Trial in United States Fulfillment Centers
The ResearchBrief "Can a Voice Channel Reduce Turnover? Evidence From a Cluster-Randomized Trial in United States Fulfillment Centers" summarizes results of fulfillment centers at a large e-commerce firm. Turnover was tracked before and after implementation.
Cornell ILR School HR Studies Professor Alex Kowalski recently studied formal voice channels, and whether or not they can independently reduce employee turnover. Some of the key findings include:
- Turnover decreased significantly in treatment sites.
- The probability of an employee exiting in a given month fell by 1.3 percentage points, a ~20% reduction relative to baseline.
- This effect is comparable to the impact of a modest wage increase (~$0.29/hour), suggesting voice is a cost-effective retention tool.
