Dunn County has employee turnover rate much higher than national average
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Dunn County had an employee turnover rate of 28 percent in 2022 and 18 percent in 2024, compared to a national average of 3.8 percent.
Dunn County has 500 employees, and from 2020 to 2024, there were 389 total separations, with 16.45 percent (64 employees) that were retirements, said Jenalee Nutter, Director of Human Resources, at the Dunn County Board’s budget workshop on August 28.
The county has added 61.64 full-time-equivalency employees in the last 10 years, although 46.55 of those FTE employees were hired from previously contracted outside services, and three were added in 2024 to work on the project to replace the county’s financial software, Nutter said.
All together in 10 years, Dunn County has added a total of 12.09 FTE that were not previously contracted positions, she said.
In 2022, Dunn County hired 30 people who were previously employed as contracted service employees from House Calls but became Dunn County employees for compliance reasons, Nutter said.
The Neighbors of Dunn County had 301 total separations from 2020 to 2024 year-to-date, and 4.3 percent (13) of those were retirements, she said.
The current turnover rate at NDC is 26 percent, which is down from 58 percent in 2021. The national turnover rate for nursing homes in 2022 was 53.3 percent, Nutter said.
The higher turnover rates for NDC corresponded with the Covid-19 pandemic when all sectors of health care experienced higher turnover rates, she said.
Management turnover was at 21 percent in 2021 but decreased to 5 percent in 2023 and is at 6 percent so far in 2024, Nutter said.
Recruitment
For general employees, Dunn County hired 417 people in five years, Nutter said.
From 2016 to 2020, Dunn County hired 66.8 FTE per year, and from 2020 to 2024 year-to-date hired 83.4 FTE per year, representing a 25 percent increase, she said.
The Neighbors of Dunn County has hired 299 people in five years, she said.
From 2016 to 2020, NDC hired 71 per year, and from 2020 to 2024 YTD hired 59.8 per year, a decrease of 16 percent, Nutter said.
Employee tenure
All together, 56 percent of the general county employees have been on the job for five years or less, while 18 percent of employees are at retirement age, Nutter said.
Dunn County could soon have 74 percent of employees there for five years or less if all of those eligible to retire decide to retire, she said.
All together, 59 percent of the Neighbors of Dunn County employees have been there five years or less, while 26 percent are of retirement age, Nutter said.
The number of employees that have been at NDC for five years or less could increase to 85 percent if those who are eligible to retire decide to retire, she said.
The Dunn County workforce has 18 percent who are retirement age, while 13 percent will reach retirement age in five years, so a total of 31 percent of the county’s workforce could retire in five years, Nutter said.
At the Neighbors of Dunn County, 26 percent of the workforce is of retirement age, while 6 percent will reach retirement age in five years, so that in the next five years, 32 percent of the NDC employees could retire, she said.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the population of people 65 years and older has grown by 38.6 percent, from 40.3 million to 55.8 million between 2010 and 2020, Nutter said.
It is important to retain employees, she noted.
In the last few years, most employers have been experiencing difficulty finding people to fill open positions.
Of the management staff at Dunn County, 69 percent have been in their role less than five years, and 11 percent of the management staff are at retirement age, Nutter said.
There is a potential for 80 percent of new management staff in five years, she said.
In 2020, 78 management staff left the Neighbors of Dunn County, while 79 left in 2021. So far this year, 35 have left their positions, Nutter said.
Employee satisfaction
Overall, Dunn County employees are fairly satisfied with their jobs.
A survey of employee satisfaction was conducted in May of 2024, with 451 respondents, or 80 percent of the staff responding to the surveys, Nutter said.
Here are the results of the employee surveys:
• Over 90 percent agreed with positive statements of general job satisfaction.
• 24 percent felt there could be improvement with communication and building trust with the administration.
• 90 percent reported positive relationships with managers.
• 22.26 percent felt managers could improve in holding staff accountable and handling conflict.
• 89 percent rated statements positively relating to fairness, belonging and support for well-being.
• 30 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with compensation and benefits, which was the most significant area of dissatisfaction.
Over the past few years, Dunn County has conducted wage studies and has increased wages in an attempt to remain competitive with surrounding counties.
