Employee retention guides
Understand why employees leave, which signals matter, and what leaders can do about them. Published guides are grounded in cited workforce research and written for practical use.
In-depth guides
Pillar guideEmployee Retention: A Practical Guide for HR and People LeadersWhy retention is a numbers problem before it's a culture problem Employee retention is the practice of keeping the people you already have engaged, productive,…Pillar guideReducing Employee Turnover: What Actually Moves the NumberStart with the cost, because that is the number you are actually managing Turnover reads like an HR metric, but it lands on the P&L. According to SHRM, the…Pillar guideThe Cost of Employee Turnover: How to Size It and Defend the NumberTurnover has a price, and most teams underprice it When someone resigns, the visible cost is the job posting and the recruiter's time. The real cost is larger,…
Retention topics
Focused explainers on the causes, strategies, and metrics behind employee turnover.
TopicAbsenteeism as a Leading Signal of Turnover RiskWhat the absenteeism signal tells you When someone starts checking out mentally, their calendar usually shows it before their resignation letter does. Missed…TopicBad Managers and Employee TurnoverWhat the research actually says The manager is the single biggest lever a company has over whether people stay or leave. According to Gallup, managers account…TopicBelow-Market Pay and Why Good Employees LeaveThe finding: pay tops the list When finance leaders are asked why their best people walk out the door, the answer lands on compensation. According to SHRM,…TopicCompensation Strategy and Employee RetentionWhy compensation sits at the center of retention Pay is not the only reason people stay, but it is often the reason they start looking. When employees weigh…TopicEmployee Burnout and Retention RiskWhy burnout is a retention problem, not just a wellness one Burnout tends to get filed under employee wellbeing, something for the benefits team to address…TopicEmployee Engagement and BelongingWhy engagement and belonging move retention Engagement is not a mood or a perk. It is whether people feel connected to their work, their team, and the outcome…TopicHow to Calculate the Cost of Employee TurnoverWhy the number matters Turnover has a price, and most teams underestimate it because so much of the cost is hidden. When someone leaves, the visible line items…TopicRetention in Frontline and Hourly RolesWhy frontline and hourly retention needs its own playbook Frontline and hourly roles carry retention pressures that salaried, desk-based jobs often don't:…
Does it work?
What the research actually supports about the interventions employers reach for most, and how strong that evidence is.
Evidence reviewCareer Development and Employee Retention: The EvidenceEvidence grade: Mixed. Credible causal studies exist and disagree, or the effect holds only under conditions the studies can name. This grade describes the…Evidence reviewDo Employee Engagement Surveys Work?Evidence grade: Misapplied. Good evidence exists and is routinely cited for a claim it does not support. This grade describes the published evidence. It is not…Evidence reviewDo Employee Recognition Programs Work?Evidence grade: Misapplied. Good evidence exists and is routinely cited for a claim it does not support. This grade describes the published evidence. It is not…Evidence reviewDo Exit Interviews Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Limited. Some evidence exists, but the designs are weak, the populations narrow, or the outcome measured is not turnover. This grade describes…Evidence reviewDo Manager Training Programs Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Mixed. Credible causal studies exist and disagree, or the effect holds only under conditions the studies can name. This grade describes the…Evidence reviewDo Mentorship Programs Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Mixed. Credible causal studies exist and disagree, or the effect holds only under conditions the studies can name. This grade describes the…Evidence reviewDo Onboarding Programs Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Mixed. Credible causal studies exist and disagree, or the effect holds only under conditions the studies can name. This grade describes the…Evidence reviewDo Retention Bonuses Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Mixed. Credible causal studies exist and disagree, or the effect holds only under conditions the studies can name. This grade describes the…Evidence reviewDo Return-to-Office Mandates Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Strong. Several independent studies with credible causal identification point the same way. This grade describes the published evidence. It is…Evidence reviewDo Sign-On Bonuses Improve Employee Retention?Evidence grade: Mixed. Credible causal studies exist and disagree, or the effect holds only under conditions the studies can name. This grade describes the…Evidence reviewDo Stay Interviews Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Insufficient. No study with a credible design has tested the question. This grade describes the published evidence. It is not a prediction…Evidence reviewDo Workplace Wellness Programs Work? What the Evidence SaysEvidence grade: Strong. Several independent studies with credible causal identification point the same way. This grade describes the published evidence. It is…
Before you hire anyone
Honest triage for the decision most retention advice skips. It tells a good share of readers to keep their money.
Instruments
Question sets for stay interviews, exit interviews and new-hire check-ins. Every question names the factor it probes and the finding it rests on, and each set answers to our own grade for the practice.
Instrument90-Day New Hire Check-In Questions, Built on the Onboarding EvidenceWhat this is Sixteen check-in questions for a new hire's first ninety days, built on the three mechanisms the onboarding research finds carry retention: role…InstrumentExit Interview Questions That Get Past the Safe AnswerWhat this is Seventeen exit interview questions built around the two documented ways exit interviews fail. Each question names the factor it probes and the…InstrumentStay Interview Questions Grounded in What Predicts TurnoverWhat this is Eighteen stay interview questions. Each one names the factor it probes and the finding it rests on, with the source next to it. It is not a…