Employee Retention: The Most Important Metric?

Why retention matters more than you think

If you’re losing good people too often, it’s rarely just about money. High turnover usually means something deeper isn’t working.

Maybe people don’t feel heard. Maybe they don’t feel seen. Maybe no one’s helping them grow.

Retention is one of the clearest signs of culture, leadership and communication. It’s one of the biggest levers for long-term performance - and it’s an expensive thing to get wrong.

- Replacing a single employee can cost up to 2x their salary.
- One study found managers lose 7-10 hours a week covering for unfilled roles.
- Nearly 80% of voluntary turnover is preventable.

4 tips for improving employee retention: 

1. Run brilliant one-to-ones
   
   This is where trust gets built. Regular, useful one-to-ones give space for:
   
   - Recognition (what’s going well)
   - Feedback (what to improve)
   - Support (what’s going on behind the scenes)
   
   Most managers skip these - and it shows.
   
   
2. Clear, achievable incentives
   
   Bonuses, promotions and pay rises should never be a mystery. People need to know what they’re aiming for and how to get there.
   
   
3.  Treat people like adults
   
   Life happens. Illness, kids, breakups, stress etc. Good managers support their team through the messy stuff.
   
   
4. Track your employee retention
   
   You don’t need perfection, but 80% is a strong goal to aim for. 
   
   

Final Thoughts

If someone’s doing a good job, don’t just say “thanks.” Show them there’s a future for them where they are. Because if you don’t, someone else will.