Who stays and who leaves? Career turnover among young managers

In this study, guided by a fit with the job and organization perspective, we examine how industry type, gender, and educational level are related to turnover among young managers aged 19–29. We also explore, based on the Job Demands-Resources framework, how young managers perceptions of various work environmental factors are associated with their intentions to leave their jobs. Register and survey data targeting all young managers (N = 2000) in the Swedish private sector were used to conduct comparative analysis between those who had left their position and those who remained. Among those who remained in a managerial position and responded to the survey (N = 395), we also examined the relative associations between a range of work environmental factors and turnover intentions. Overall, our results show that young female managers had a higher turnover rate than their male counterparts. Furthermore, emotional demands and job resources in terms of role clarity, perceived organizational support, and the ability to exert influence were associated with young managers’ turnover intentions. Our study provides new insights into why young managers may leave or remain in their position at an early stage. These findings can inform organizations and strategic human resource management practices, offering guidance on factors to consider for enhancing the retention of tomorrow’s managerial workforce.