Every HR professional in Singapore knows the cost of losing good people. From recruitment to training to lost productivity, employee turnover hurts. Singapore sees an average 16% staff turnover rate each year, according to DollarsAndSense. That’s one in six employees walking out annually, taking knowledge, morale, and momentum with them.
If you’re looking to reduce turnover of employees while building a loyal, high-performing team, there’s one strategy that many still overlook: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
This isn’t about box-ticking. It’s about creating a workplace where people actually want to stay.
Here’s the thing: DEI, when done right, strengthens trust, belonging, and purpose. And that’s exactly what keeps people from walking out the door.
Let’s break down three practical DEI strategies that have a proven impact on reducing turnover, and how you can use them to reshape retention in your organisation.
Why DEI Is Key to Reducing Turnover of Employees
Before we dive into the how, let’s address the why.
Turnover isn’t just about salary. Yes, people leave for money. But they’re just as likely to quit over feeling excluded, overlooked, or disrespected. According to McKinsey, employees who feel a sense of belonging are over 50% more likely to stay with their company long-term.
So when you build inclusive systems that reflect your employees’ lived experiences, you don’t just improve morale, you actively reduce turnover of employees.
That’s what makes DEI a practical retention tool, not just a nice-to-have.
DEI Move #1: Build Equity Into Career Development
Why It Matters
Everyone wants growth. But too often, career progression depends on who you know or how well you “fit in.” That leaves underrepresented employees stuck in place and quietly checking out.
Unfair advancement structures are a top driver of disengagement, and eventually, resignation. If employees don’t see a future with you, they’ll find one elsewhere.
What to Do Instead
- Audit promotion data. Look at who’s getting promoted and who isn’t. Break it down by gender, race, age, disability status, and more.
- Standardise performance reviews. Clear criteria reduce bias and remove ambiguity.
- Offer mentorships across groups. Match high-potential employees with leaders outside their usual circle.
Singapore’s diverse workforce demands systems that don’t favour the loudest voice in the room. Building equitable development paths shows your people that growth isn’t reserved for a select few.
The DEI Payoff
When employees see that hard work leads to opportunity, regardless of background, they’re more likely to stay engaged and stick around. You’ll reduce turnover of employees by making sure no one is left behind.
DEI Move #2: Fix the Broken Feedback Loop
Why It Matters
If people don’t feel safe speaking up, they won’t. Silence breeds disengagement, and that’s a quiet signal of turnover risk.
Inclusion isn’t just about celebration days or shared meals. It’s about psychological safety. Employees who feel heard and respected in their day-to-day work are more loyal, more productive, and less likely to quit.
So here’s the thing: psychological safety doesn’t happen by chance. It has to be modelled, especially by managers. That’s why training people leaders on how to recognise, foster, and protect psychological safety within their teams is essential.
We offer practical, manager-focused psychological safety workshops as part of our broader DEI training programmes. These sessions give managers the tools to turn good intentions into real behavioural change—without the jargon or fluff.
What to Do Instead
- Create real feedback channels. Don’t rely on annual surveys. Use anonymous pulse checks and regular 1:1s.
- Close the loop. Show that feedback leads to action. If nothing changes, people stop talking.
- Train managers on active listening. This isn’t soft stuff. It’s a skill, and it needs practice.
Don’t wait for exit interviews to learn what’s broken. If your people are quiet, assume they’re disengaged or looking for the exit.
The DEI Payoff
Creating a culture of open, safe feedback builds trust. And when employees trust that their voice matters, they stay invested. That’s a direct way to reduce turnover of employees by making them feel like insiders, not observers.
DEI Move #3: Design Inclusive Policies That Match Real Lives
Why It Matters
Outdated policies are a hidden attrition engine. If your benefits, leave policies, or expectations assume everyone lives the same life, you’re alienating people without even knowing it.
Think of the working parent who feels judged for leaving at 6 pm. Or the LGBTQ+ employee who has no protection from discrimination. Or the neurodivergent teammate quietly masking in every meeting.
Rigid, one-size-fits-all policies push people away. Inclusive ones bring them in.
What to Do Instead
- Expand leave policies. Include caregiving, mental health, and chosen family structures.
- Review benefits language. Is it gender-neutral? Culturally inclusive? Do all employees see themselves reflected?
- Offer flexibility, not just perks. Hybrid options, meeting norms, and quiet workspaces matter more than pizza Fridays.
In Singapore, where multiculturalism is the norm, inclusive policies aren’t just nice. They’re necessary.
The DEI Payoff
When your policies reflect real lives, not just traditional ones, you send a powerful message: You see your people. That recognition alone can dramatically reduce turnover of employees, especially among groups that often feel marginalised or invisible.
Real Talk: DEI Is a Retention Strategy
Let’s be clear. DEI isn’t a branding exercise. It’s your best bet for holding on to good people.
Singaporean companies that lead in DEI (across sectors) are seeing stronger team cohesion, better retention, and even higher innovation scores. Not because they’re ticking boxes, but because they’re removing the silent barriers that make people want to leave.
And this works across industries. Whether you’re in tech, finance, education, or logistics, these three DEI moves are tools you can use today to reduce turnover of employees without waiting for a budget cycle or an HR overhaul.
How to Get Started
If you’re serious about putting this into practice, you don’t need to figure it out on your own.
Include Consulting offers practical, no-nonsense DEI strategy support for organisations across Singapore. Our work goes beyond templates. We help you find what fits your people, your culture, and your goals.
Check out our DEI consultancy service
We work with HR teams who want measurable impact, not fluff. If you’re ready to use DEI to reduce turnover of employees, we’re ready to help.
Conclusion: DEI Isn’t Optional – It’s Essential to Reduce Turnover of Employees
If you’re dealing with high attrition, don’t start with ping pong tables or engagement apps. Start with trust. Start with systems that work for everyone, not just a few. Start with DEI.
By building fairer development paths, creating safe feedback cultures, and modernising your policies, you’ll do more than tick a box. You’ll build a workplace people actually want to stay in.
And that’s how you reduce turnover of employees in a way that actually sticks.
