Dysfunctional turnover is the departure of:

• A. A poor performer
• B. An employee who retires
• C. An effective performer the company would have liked to retain
• D. A new hire

Answer: (C)

Dysfunctional turnover is the departure of an effective performer the company would have liked to retain. Losing a high‑performing employee hits productivity, knowledge, and morale, and it also drives up costs to recruit and train a replacement. This kind of turnover is particularly disruptive because it takes away someone who was contributing substantial value and whose absence the organization would have preferred to avoid.

A poor performer leaving, retirement, or a new hire leaving are not typically seen as dysfunctional in the same way. A poor performer leaving can improve overall performance; retirement is a normal lifecycle event; and a new hire leaving during onboarding reflects onboarding or fit issues rather than the loss of an already valued, productive contributor.