In this paper, we display the tools and principles of personnel economics through a series of models aimed at addressing the questions posed above. We focus on the building blocks that form the foundation of personnel economics: the assumptions that both the worker and the firm are rational...

Most turnover reflects churn, where hires replace departures. Churn varies substantially by employer, industry and worker characteristics. In the LEHD (QWI) data, permanent employer differences account for 36% of the variation in churn. For example, leisure and hospitality turnover is more than...

We study the allocation and productivity consequences of training production line supervisors in soft skills via a randomized controlled trial. Consistent with standard practice for training investments within firms, we asked middle managers -- who sit above supervisors in the hierarchy -- to...