GLOSSARY
Consultant Turnover
Consultant turnover measures the annual % of consultants leaving a staffing firm (voluntary + involuntary departures). France 2026 median: 18%. 15-50 consultant firms: 23%.
IN DEPTH
Consultant turnover (or churn) is a critical HR health KPI of a staffing firm or agency: percentage of consultants leaving the company over 12 months (voluntary + involuntary departures). In France 2026, median turnover is 18% per Cobalt study, up 5 points since 2020. 15-50 consultant staffing firms show 23.4% (most fragile segment), top 10% specialized only 7.8%. Turnover >25% predicts enormous hidden costs: skill loss (1 consultant = 6-12 months learning at a client), replacement cost (€3,000-8,000/placement), NPS client impact, margin drop. 5 retention levers: competitive packages (85-90% of day rate in salary + benefits), accelerated inter-mission mobility, continuous training, management quality, strong consultant culture. Cobalt automatically measures turnover by segment and identifies departure risks early.
Frequently asked questions
<10% = excellent (top 10%), 10-15% = healthy, 15-20% = normal (median 18%), 20-25% = watch out, >25% = alert. 15-50 consultant segment is most fragile (23% average). Beyond 25%, negative spiral risk.
Total cost €15,000-40,000 depending on profile: replacement recruitment (€3,000-8,000), productivity loss during vacancy (2-4 months), new consultant onboarding (2 months at 50% productivity), client/mission impact, competitor poaching risk. For a senior: up to €60-80k total cost.
Related terms
- Staffing Firm / ESN (Entreprise de Services Numériques)An ESN (IT staffing firm) is a French company specialized in IT services: it places consultants (employees or freelancers) at client sites for 3-month to 2-year missions.
- Consultant NPSConsultant NPS (Net Promoter Score) measures satisfaction and likelihood a consultant recommends their staffing firm. NPS >40 indicates a healthy firm, <20 signals high turnover risk.
- Business Manager (BM)A Business Manager (BM) is a staffing firm salesperson responsible for a client and consultant portfolio. They sell services, manage missions and bench time.
- Bench (Intercontrat)The bench (intercontrat) is the period during which a staffing firm consultant is not placed on a client mission. They're paid but generate no revenue.
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