Hiring is wasted if people leave too soon. Retention is the ability of an organization to keep employees over time, especially those it most wants to retain.

Drivers include competitive compensation, meaningful work, growth opportunities, quality of management, and cultural fit. Exit interviews and turnover analytics reveal patterns; stay interviews reveal risks before resignation letters arrive. Not all turnover is bad—some departures improve overall health.

Retention strategies fail when they treat symptoms rather than root causes. Blanket perks rarely compensate for toxic supervision or dead-end roles. Targeted effort on high-impact roles and regrettable attrition yields better returns than undifferentiated programs.

• Ability to keep desired employees over time
• Influenced by pay, work, growth, and management
• Measured through turnover and stay data
• Most effective when addressing root causes