The keys to retention

One of WCI's priorities is helping employers develop "a strategic culture for employee selection and retention." We have recently been conducting member surveys and researching outside surveys to identify the ring of keys that unlock employee retention. Of course, retention is not always good! Employers need to retain the right employees.

To summarize a recent WCI member survey, employers want long-term productivity from honest and reliable employees with good attitudes. While most employees probably want to be productive, honest, and reliable, there are significant reasons why they don't. In fact, employees would generally not list those character qualities when asked what they want or need.

Another recent WCI member survey that, it must be noted, came from employer perspectives, identified what they thought their employees wanted or needed the most:

1. fair pay and benefits they can live on
2. a manager who cares and treats them well
3. flexibility for work-life balance
4. a secure job and stable employer

Other things that made the list, although at a much lower level, were opportunities for career advancement, positive relationships with coworkers, a safe and healthy work environment, a job where they can apply their strengths, and personal health with a good home life. Again, this is the employer's view of what they think their employees want or need.

Employers might assume that employees who are getting the four things above have what they need to stay and provide that long-term productivity, i.e. that they are engaged. Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report" shows no change in the level of employee engagement in the US/Canada, at 31%. That means only 31% of the average workforce is engaged at work, while 52% are not engaged, and 17% are actively disengaged. This makes it appear that most employees are not actually getting what they want or need.

So, what do employees themselves say they want or need to stay on the job? Work Institute maintains an extensive database of why employees leave their jobs, based on interviews. The following list is based on their findings but turned around backwards. In other words, their reasons for leaving are restated to indicate what would keep them from leaving.

• Career 19.2% - Growth opportunities, adequate career progression, and professional development
• Work-Life Balance 12.4% - The ability to better manage personal and professional responsibilities, such as flexible scheduling, remote work, or reduced workload
• Health & Family 11.4% - Having good personal health, without caregiving or family issues
• Relocation 9.3% - not having to move to a new geographic location for reasons outside of work
• Management 9.2% - Having good leaders who support them and communicate effectively
• Retirement 8.5% - Not needing to leave because of having reached the stage where they no longer wish to work
• Environment 8.1% - Having a good workplace culture, suitable facilities, acceptable mission and values, along with safety, diversity, and good coworkers
• Total Rewards 7.7% - Satisfaction with pay, benefits, and perceived equity compared to market standards
• Involuntary 6.7% - Not having to leave due to layoffs, downsizing, or termination not initiated by the employee
• Job 6.7% - Embracing their role and having good job fit that provides meaningful work within tolerable levels of physical or emotional demand

We could conclude that (a) what employees want or need is to some degree different from what their employers think they need; and that (b) the keys of retention should be examined from a different perspective. Here's another way to look at what most employees want or need:

• 26% want/need opportunities for career advancement and a job that utilizes their strengths (this is especially true for men)
• 25% want/need a supportive manager within a positive culture that provides fair pay and benefits
• 24% want/need a flexible work-life balance without the distractions that come from poor health and family issues (this is especially true for women)
• 25% want/need job security that eliminates the need to find another job due to termination, relocation, or retirement

This analysis points employers and their managers toward the priorities of supporting and developing their employees every way they can.