When Size Cuts Both Ways: Why Larger Operators See Extreme Turnover—and What Smaller Firms Can Teach Us

INSIGHTS FROM THE 2025 AHTA AFFORDABLE HOUSING STAFFING SURVEY

Affordable housing operators know that staff turnover hurts—but the 2025 Staffing Survey reveals something deeper: size matters. Bigger organizations aren’t just facing more vacancies; some are experiencing extreme staff churn that smaller firms largely avoid. Here’s what the data says—and what you can learn from the little guys.

The Numbers Behind the Pain

• Among companies with 100+ employees, 43% report turnover of 26% or more in the past 12 months. Even more alarming: 14% report turnover above 50%.

• Smaller firms (1–100 employees) fare better: 28% report turnover of 26%+, and 0% (per the AHTA staffing survey) report turnover above 50%.

• Across all sizes, 54% say staffing challenges are worsening—but the severity spikes with scale.

Translation: The bigger you are, the harder it is to keep your team intact.

Why Scale Creates Fragility

1) Wider spans of control. Regional managers in large organizations juggle more properties and people, making it harder to coach, monitor, and intervene early.

2) Policy drag and process complexity. Big operators often layer compliance and standard operating procedures (SOPs) across multiple regions. While necessary, this slows decision-making and frustrates frontline staff.

3) Distance from culture. Smaller firms can reinforce culture daily; larger ones struggle to keep values visible beyond the corporate office.

What Smaller Firms Get Right

The survey hints at why smaller operators outperform on retention—and these lessons scale if you’re intentional:

• Tighter mentorship loops. Supervisors in small firms often act as coaches, not just task managers.

• Faster feedback cycles. Less bureaucracy means quicker recognition and course correction.

• Localized flexibility. Smaller teams adapt policies to real-world conditions without waiting for corporate approval.

  
  

How Big Operators Can Borrow These Wins

Create regional onboarding pods. Instead of a single corporate training funnel, stand up pods that own onboarding for clusters of properties. This shortens the distance between new hires and their first real support system.

Empower field coaches. Designate experienced techs or site managers as “on-the-job trainers” with clear incentives. Pair this with micro-learning modules for consistency.

Simplify the first 90 days. Audit your onboarding steps. Cut anything that doesn’t directly impact compliance or job readiness. Replace long policy decks with short, role-specific guides. [AHTA offers some great methods of efficiently onboard new staff -- call us to learn more!]

Measure retention by region—and share it. Visibility drives accountability. Publish turnover and time-to-proficiency metrics by region so leaders can see where interventions work.

Why This Matters Now

Turnover isn’t just a staffing headache—it’s a financial and operational risk. Every vacancy means slower service, higher overtime, and potential compliance gaps. For large operators, the stakes are even higher because churn compounds across portfolios.

The good news? Retention strategies scale when they start with human connection and role clarity. Borrow what works for smaller firms, and layer in structured training and coaching to make it stick.

Want to see what role-based onboarding looks like in practice?

AHTA offers customizable learning paths for maintenance techs, site managers, and leasing teams—the roles most under strain. Explore how scalable training can help you turn size into strength instead of a liability.

Learn more at www.ahta.online.