Most people don’t leave jobs on a whim. They leave quietly, often gradually, and long before you see the resignation email.
The bigger problem is that many of them wanted to stay.
They joined because they believed in the mission, the team. They saw potential.
Then something shifted and no one noticed. Or worse, no one asked.
Retention isn’t about flashy perks or ‘employee of the month’ shoutouts. It’s about building a culture where people feel seen, trusted, and supported before they reach breaking point.
In this article, we’ll explore why good employees walk away from seemingly good jobs, the signals leaders often miss, and proactive ways to keep great people before it’s too late
The old cliché says ‘people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers’, but the truth is a bit more complex.
Employees leave when the lived experience of working for you no longer matches what they signed up for. It doesn’t always look dramatic. In fact, many resignations are slow-burn exits caused by a build-up of unmet needs or broken trust.
A 2023 McKinsey report found that the top reasons people leave their jobs are:
These aren’t superficial issues. They cut to the heart of what makes people feel committed, motivated, and seen.
Even in good companies with decent pay and benefits, people leave when:
Crucially, most of these problems are fixable. But only if you spot them in time.
People often leave when the emotional contract is broken when what they experience doesn’t match what they were promised.
Disengagement rarely comes out of nowhere. In most cases, there are plenty of warning signs, if you’re paying attention.
A Gallup study revealed that only 32% of full-time and part-time employees in the US are engaged at work, and 18% are actively disengaged.
That means roughly half the workforce is in a grey zone of quiet detachment, doing the work, but without energy, purpose, or long-term commitment.
Disengagement means many employees are watching out for other work, or are actively seeking alternative employment.
In Europe, 30% of employees are seeking alternative work, compared to 50% globally.
Here’s what early disengagement looks like:
It’s not just about performance. Many disengaged employees still hit their targets. That’s what makes it so dangerous. It’s easy to miss until it’s too late.
And it’s often the most engaged employees who burn out first.
This is because they cared the most to begin with and felt let down the hardest when leadership didn’t listen or support them.
“It’s not the workload that burns people out. It’s the lack of recognition, purpose, and agency.” - Christina Maslach, pioneer of burnout research
Disengagement doesn’t start with performance dips, it starts with emotional withdrawal. And it’s often invisible.
By the time someone’s at an exit interview, it’s too late to change their mind, but that doesn’t mean their insights aren’t useful.
The real opportunity lies earlier, in the conversations you should’ve had weeks or months before.
What might have changed if someone had taken a genuine interest in the employee, not just going through the motions on a performance review.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development.
In addition, employees making internal progress are more likely to remain with their companies.
Here’s what most people are really looking for when they choose to stay:
Meaningful recognition
Generic praise doesn’t cut it. People want to know that their specific contributions are valued, especially when they’ve gone above and beyond.
Public shout-outs, thank-yous in 1:1s, or visibility to leadership all make a difference.
Real growth
If your best people feel stuck or invisible, they’ll look elsewhere. Progression doesn’t just mean promotion, it could be stretch projects, mentoring, skill-building, or lateral moves.
What matters is that people can see a future for themselves at your company.
A sense of belonging
When people feel able to express ideas, and admit mistakes, they're far more likely to stay.
That sense of trust and inclusion is often what tips the scales when someone’s considering leaving.
“Belonging is the engine of retention. When people feel seen, heard, and valued they stick around.” - Josh Bersin, HR analyst
Retention is about relevance. People stay when they feel recognised, challenged, and like they truly belong.
Retention isn’t a policy, it’s a relationship. And like any relationship, it requires consistency, care, and regular check-ins.
But most companies only get serious about it after someone quits. By then, you’re not just dealing with turnover, you’re facing the loss of knowledge, culture, and team morale.
So what actually works?
Stay interviews are low-effort, high-reward. Unlike performance reviews, they focus on how employees feel about their role, the team, and the company.
Ask open questions like:
These conversations build trust and show people that you care about their experience before it turns into dissatisfaction.
As Harvard Business Review points out, stay interviews are particularly effective at identifying hidden frustrations and unmet needs long before they result in attrition.
Most companies publish their values proudly, but if your culture doesn’t reflect them, employees will notice.
If you claim to prioritise work–life balance, but reward late-night emails and expect people to work late, people stop believing you.
If you promote autonomy, but micromanage projects, people disengage.
Use pulse surveys, team retros, or facilitated discussions to ask: Are we living our values or just marketing them?
The number one reason people leave companies is a lack of career development.
Yet many businesses still wait until someone is looking frustrated before talking about growth.
Instead, make development a regular part of one to ones and team planning.
Help people map where they want to go and support them in getting there, even if it means shifting roles or redefining success.
Recognition doesn’t need to be expensive or formal.
However, it should be given regularly and at appropriate times, rather than waiting for quarterly reviews.
It should also be specific and tailored to the individual.
Companies with high-recognition cultures have 31% lower voluntary turnover, according to research by Bersin & Associates.
Retention isn’t about HR dashboards, it’s about team dynamics, which means your managers are your front line.
The problem is that most managers haven’t been trained to handle emotional conversations, identify burnout, or coach for growth.
Invest in training managers to:
Retention isn’t about reacting to who’s leaving. It’s about building systems that make people want to stay.
In a world where hiring is expensive, onboarding is time-consuming, and culture is fragile, the smartest thing you can do is double down on the people you already have.
That means checking in regularly, acting on feedback, and making sure the experience matches the promise.
People don’t stay just because the job is good, they stay because it’s good for them and you’ve shown them that they matter.
The warning signs are always there. So are the opportunities to turn things around.
Start the conversations now. Before they become goodbye chats.