Understanding Turnover Reports: Insight vs Classic
Both Insight module and Classic calculate employee turnover, but they use slightly different methods. This means you may see different turnover percentages depending on which report you use. This page explains how each report works and why the numbers can differ.
What is Turnover?
Turnover measures the rate at which employees leave your organisation during a chosen time period. It is shown as a percentage.
How Each Report Calculates Turnover
Insight module
Formula:
Turnover = Number of Leavers ÷ Headcount at the start of the period
- Headcount is the number of employees with an active employment on the first day of the selected period.
- Leaver is someone whose employment ended during the period and who was not immediately re-employed (there must be a gap in service).
Classic (report)
Formula:
Turnover = Number of Leavers ÷ Total number of employees during the period
- Total number of employees includes everyone who had an active employment at any point during the selected period — employees at the start, new hires, and leavers.
- Leaver is someone whose very last employment end date (across all their employments) falls within the period. Classic does not check for gaps between employments.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Insight module | Classic report |
|---|---|---|
| What is divided by (denominator) | Headcount on the first day of the period | All employees active at any point during the period |
| Who counts as a leaver | Employment ends during the period and there is a gap before any next employment | The person's last-ever employment end date falls within the period (gaps are not considered) |
| Effect on turnover % | Tends to produce a higher percentage (smaller denominator) | Tends to produce a lower percentage (larger denominator) |
Example
Suppose you select the full year 2019 as your period:
- 2 employees left during the year
- On 1 January, there were 61 employees (headcount)
- During the entire year, 64 employees were active at some point (61 at start + 3 new hires)
| Insight | Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Leavers | 2 | 2 |
| Denominator | 61 (headcount on 1 Jan) | 64 (all active during the year) |
| Turnover | 2 ÷ 61 = 3.3% | 2 ÷ 64 = 3.1% |
The difference comes from Insight using the headcount at the start of the period, while Classic counts everyone who was active at any point.
Why Do the Numbers Differ?
There are two main reasons:
- Different denominators — This is usually the biggest source of difference. Insight only counts employees on the first day, so its denominator is smaller (or equal). A smaller denominator means a higher turnover percentage.
- Different leaver definitions — In some cases, the same person may be counted as a leaver in one report but not the other: - If someone leaves, has a gap, and then starts a new employment that ends outside the period — Insight counts them as a leaver (because of the gap), but Classic does not (because their last employment end date is outside the period). - If someone has multiple employments that all end within the period with no gaps — Classic counts them based on the last end date, while Insight evaluates each employment individually.
Which Report Should I Use?
Both methods are valid and commonly used in HR analytics. The right choice depends on your needs:
- Insight gives you a snapshot-based view that is useful for tracking trends over time with a consistent starting point.
- Classic gives you a period-based view that accounts for workforce changes throughout the entire period.
If you are comparing numbers between the two, keep in mind that small differences are expected and do not indicate an error.
If you have questions about your turnover numbers, please contact Customer Support.
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