The Science of Staying: How Motivation Predicts Voluntary Turnover

Hiring the right person doesn’t always guarantee they’ll stay. Sometimes, great employees leave for reasons that data can’t easily explain.

Unlike involuntary turnover, where employees are terminated due to poor performance or misconduct, voluntary turnover occurs when individuals choose to leave their position. These decisions might stem from pursuing a better offer, relocation, or experiencing burnout.

At Prevue, our assessments have consistently helped organizations reduce involuntary turnover by identifying candidates who fit the role’s requirements and company culture. But predicting who chooses to leave is a different challenge. That challenge became clear when we partnered with a fast-paced, people-driven sales organization experiencing high voluntary turnover in a demanding role.

Case Study: Insights from a High-Pressure Sales Environment

The organization operates in the payment solutions space, supporting small to mid-sized businesses with transaction processing and operational efficiency. Their sales role is highly demanding, marked by ambitious performance targets, a high volume of outbound outreach, and consistent pressure to perform.

Despite these conditions, some employees continued to stay and succeed. To understand why, we analyzed Prevue assessment data alongside internal turnover records. One factor stood out clearly: Employees who scored higher on our Working with People Motivation scale were more likely to stay in the role over time.

Those who genuinely enjoyed social interaction found energy in the organization’s people-oriented culture. Team members bonded over shared challenges, relied on one another for support, and found meaning in connection — often the very reasons they chose to stay, even when the work was tough.

How Motivation Fit Predicts Who Stays (and Who Leaves)

Prevue’s Motivations/Interests Assessment measures what energizes people at work, whether that’s working with people, data or things.

In this sales environment, every one-sten increase on the Working with People scale was associated with a 9.4% decrease in voluntary turnover.

Employees scoring in the higher range (Sten 7–10) were significantly more likely to remain over a six-month period. Their motivations aligned closely with the role’s interpersonal demands, making the work feel more sustainable and engaging. These individuals drew energy from collaboration and teamwork, which became key factors in their decision to stay.

In contrast, employees with lower interest in Working with People were less likely to connect with the social nature of the role and were more prone to early turnover, often within the first few months.

Why Motivations Matter

This case highlights why Motivations are such a powerful predictor of tenure:

When daily work aligns with what individuals find naturally fulfilling, they are far more likely to stay. In this case, a people-oriented culture helped offset the pressures of a high-demand sales role — but only for those motivated by social interaction.

What This Means for Employers

You can’t prevent every resignation, but you can reduce voluntary turnover by hiring people whose motivations align with the role and culture.

Incorporating Motivations data into hiring decisions helps teams:

  • Identify candidates who will feel energized, not drained, by the role.
  • Reduce voluntary turnover by matching people to roles that fit their natural interests.
  • Build more accurate benchmarks that reflect both capability and motivational fit.

By understanding what truly drives people to stay, organizations can move beyond simply filling positions and start building teams that are motivated, fulfilled, and built to last.