Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your workplace questions each week for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of SHRM, the world’s largest trade association of human resources professionals, and author of “Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”
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Question: We had a well-liked manager who took a position at another company last fall. We were sad to see the manager go, and unfortunately, in the time since, we have lost a number of additional employees who have essentially been poached by this other company. These are all employees who were equally well-liked, and I believe fit very well in our company culture and enjoyed their time here. What can we do to improve our employee retention? ‒ Taylor
Answer: Losing a respected manager is difficult. Losing talented employees soon afterward can be even more concerning. But before you conclude another company is poaching your people, ask yourself a question: Why are they choosing to leave?
Not every departure represents a failure. Sometimes another opportunity is simply a better fit for an employee’s goals, career aspirations, or stage of life. The key is identifying patterns. Healthy turnover is inevitable. Repeated turnover for the same reasons deserves your attention.
Leadership transitions are one of the clearest tests of an organization’s strength. They reveal whether you’ve invested in developing leaders at every level and are prepared for inevitable change. Strong managers earn trust, so it’s not surprising when employees choose to follow a leader they respect. But no organization should depend on one exceptional leader to sustain engagement or retention. Every organization should prepare for the day a great leader moves on. That’s not pessimism. That’s good succession planning.
Instead of reacting emotionally, get curious. Exit interviews tell you why people left. Stay interviews help you understand why your best employees remain and what might cause them to leave. Both are valuable. Look for patterns instead of isolated stories. Are employees leaving because they don’t see opportunities to grow? Do they feel supported by their managers? Are compensation, flexibility, or career development emerging as common themes? Understand the problem before rushing to fix it.
Retention isn’t built when employees receive another offer. It’s built every day, long before they do. Employees are more likely to stay when they trust their leaders, receive regular feedback, feel recognized for their contributions, and see opportunities to grow. That kind of commitment is built through everyday conversations, meaningful coaching, and consistent investment in people’s development, not during an exit interview or a last-minute counteroffer.
You can’t prevent every talented employee from accepting another opportunity, nor should you try to. High performers will always attract attention from competitors. What you can do is create an environment where talented people choose to stay because they believe they’re growing, they’re valued, and they have a future.
Measure your organization’s success by the compelling reasons employees have to stay, not by whether one exceptional leader keeps them engaged. Organizations that consistently invest in their people, develop leaders at every level, and prepare for change don’t just retain more talent. They build stronger cultures, stronger leadership pipelines, and stronger businesses.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.