In today’s fast-moving APAC markets, especially across hubs like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bangkok, retention is quickly becoming the KPI that defines hiring success.

Recruitment teams are no longer judged just by how quickly they can fill seats.

The real test is whether those hires stay, perform, and help build long-term business value.

Why Retention is the KPI That Matters Most

Traditional metrics like time to hire and cost per hire remain operationally important, but they do not tell the whole story.

A fast, well-managed hiring process does create important psychological momentum for candidates.

Speed signals decisiveness, professionalism, and respect, which fuels early-stage commitment and improves the odds of successful onboarding.

However, it is retention that tells the ultimate story.

If employees leave too soon, it often points to:

• Poor job scoping
• Misaligned expectations
• Inadequate onboarding
• Cultural mismatch
• Leadership gaps

Cost Reality:

In Southeast Asia, replacing a mid-senior employee typically costs between 50 percent and 250 percent of annual salary once hiring fees, onboarding time, lost productivity, and opportunity cost are factored in.

(Source: Aon Malaysia Talent Outlook 2024)

Example : Replacing a RM180,000-per-year Project Manager could quietly cost a company between RM90,000 and RM450,000, with potential impacts on project delivery timelines.

Retention Benchmarks Across APAC

Retention rates vary by industry and market maturity. Here is a regional snapshot:

General Corporate (Malaysia, Singapore) — 10 to 15 percent Attrition Annually

A churn rate within 10 to 12 percent reflects strong culture, leadership, and career pathways.

Attrition above 15 percent signals deeper systemic issues.

Tech and Digital (KL, Bangkok, Manila) — 15 to 22 percent Attrition

Normal churn is 15 to 18 percent across regional digital hubs.

Talent raids and startup exits fuel volatility.

Banking and Finance (SG, HK, KL) — 8 to 12 percent Attrition

Stability is the norm, with loyalty incentivized through structured career paths and bonuses.

Attrition above 13 percent can reflect pain points from digital transformation or regulatory disruption.

Startups (Southeast Asia) — 25 to 40 percent Attrition

High churn is typical in early-stage ventures.

Sustained turnover above 35 percent weakens team morale and slows growth trajectories.

APAC Insight :

LinkedIn’s “Future of Recruiting 2024” study reports that 68 percent of CHROs in Southeast Asia now rank retention as the number one success metric for recruitment outcomes, overtaking time-to-hire for the first time.

Why Retention Will Dominate Future Hiring KPIs

Leading organizations across APAC are already integrating retention into performance frameworks, including:

• Recruiter scorecards
• Workforce planning dashboards
• Talent acquisition OKRs
• Employer branding strategies

Emerging KPIs Include:

• 12-month retention by recruiter or business unit
• Post-hire satisfaction surveys (New Hire NPS)
• New hire performance appraisals at 6 and 12 months

Quote: “Retention is no longer about merely keeping people — it is about building lasting alignment.”

— Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank, 2023 HRD Asia Conference

At Kinetik, we believe retention sits at the heart of sustainable, business-driven hiring and will increasingly define whether TA and HR are seen as cost centres or value creators.

Final Thoughts: In APAC, Retention Signals Reputation

Across Southeast Asia’s increasingly borderless talent landscape, retention is no longer just a statistic. It has become a public reputation marker.

Organizations that retain their top people will:

• Build deeper institutional knowledge
• Reduce hiring and onboarding costs
• Strengthen their employer brand across regional networks

Organizations that do not will:

• Suffer repeated hidden costs
• Struggle to stabilize operations
• See brand erosion across the talent market

At Kinetik, we champion a new hiring model: fast, aligned, human-centered, but ultimately measured by retention.

Because speed wins early commitment, but staying power wins the future.