Leadership Strategies for Reducing Turnover Within Child Welfare Departments

Employee turnover costs companies billions of dollars annually and can damage business sustainability. Childcare managers who lack leadership strategies may struggle to reduce employee turnover. Grounded in the motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore leadership strategies childcare managers in Polk County, Florida, use to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected through semistructured face-to-face interviews with 5 purposively selected childcare managers who have used leadership strategies to reduce employee turnover. Data were also collected via field notes, observations, and company documents. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the data: open communication, feedback and meeting, coaching and training, and open dialogue and transparency. A key recommendation includes implementing a combination of effective leadership strategies to reduce employee turnover in child welfare organizations. The implications for positive social change include the potential for childcare managers to create job opportunities and provide social amenities and welfare, thereby boosting economic growth for local communities