How to keep the talent you have got

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine where high rates of employee attrition are a problem and put forward some possible solutions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper concentrates on the experience of information technology (IT) firms in India. Findings – The paper describes how employees seem most likely to leave a company after around five years. The longer an employee remains with a company, the less likely he or she is to leave. Practical implications – The paper highlights the importance of making employees feel valued, keeping them informed of what is going on in the company, relating their work to the aims of the organization as a whole and ensuring that they have a clear career‐development path. Social implications – The paper stresses that high rates of employee attrition can harm not only individual companies, but also national economies as a whole. Originality/value – The paper focuses on the IT industry in India to recommend how to reduce employee attrition.