If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It. If It Is Broke, Call That Sh–tuff Out.

Hey! Here’s a super fun idea. Let’s flash back to the pandemic, but scrape out what we learned about remote working, the power of telecom, and cohesion (early days, folks). Now, let’s do the lack of resources, fear and reality of losing jobs, geopolitical upheaval, and general day-to-day angst. Whooo! That will be fun! 🙄 😑

Now may not feel like the right time to talk about employee retention and turnover. And, just like during the pandemic, it can seem bleak now, but on the other side, are you and your employees going to be stronger as a result, or more fractured?

As a leader, you have the power to change things for the better. As a negative point, consider “The Great Detachment.” U.S. employee engagement fell to an 11-year low in 2024, signaling widespread inertia and resentment where dissatisfied employees felt trapped in their roles. Global employee engagement has also declined, falling to 21% in 2024, with lost productivity costing the global economy trillions.

This crisis is fundamentally a leadership challenge. High-quality, human-centered leadership is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a retention strategy. Retention is still the #1 workforce challenge, and research overwhelmingly confirms that the problem starts and ends with the frontline manager.

A cynical approach could be that people will stay in their jobs now because they’re scared or not able to leave. Even if that’s true, do you want a scared and stuck team, or a team who is well aware of the environment and still chooses to give great effort to their work every day?

[insert music for deep pondering]

[okay, that’s enough]

The Root Cause of Turnover

Research synthesized in the 2025 Gallagher report concludes that the #1 reason employees stay or leave is their boss. A staggering 50% of employees who seek new jobs do so because of their manager. This isn’t new data, colleagues. “People don’t quit their jobs, they quit their boss,” was not invented out of thin air. It’s been statistically true for quite some time. 

Yet, managers are often ill-equipped and unsupported, leading to a managerial blind spot. For example, 50% of managers strongly believe they provide weekly feedback, but only 20% of individual contributors strongly agree this is true. Furthermore, manager engagement itself has dropped, experiencing the largest decline of any employee group globally. This creates a destructive cycle: disengaged managers cannot inspire and support their teams through significant change and uncertainty, directly fueling detachment and attrition.

Fret not. There’s a path to a better place…

Actionable Strategy 1: Reinvest in the Manager as a Human Catalyst

To counter the detachment crisis, organizations must address the systemic crisis in the management layer. Leadership development cannot be seen as a perk, but as a core retention strategy.

• Prioritize Trust and Accountability: Retention is achieved through better leadership, connection, and trust, not compensation alone. Hold managers accountable for retention goals, not just HR.

• Focus on Foundational Culture: Effective leaders must champion the five universally linked elements of a positive culture: honest and unbiased management, civil behavior, meaningful work, open communication, and empathy.

• Close the Feedback Gap: Managers must be taught how to build a weekly coaching habit that includes meaningful, individualized recognition and feedback.

Actionable Strategy 2: Embrace Human-AI Collaboration and Upskilling

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the nature of work, and effective leadership is crucial to steering these changes. Executives' #1 priority is augmenting systems and processes with AI. However, AI adoption often stalls because leaders’ aspirations have not translated into clear direction or support for employees.

• Skills are the New Currency: Career development and upskilling opportunities are paramount, identified as the single strongest correlate with employee commitment. Employees view their employer as either a partner in building their future value or an obstacle.

• Beware the AI-First Trap: An "AI-first" approach can inadvertently increase work friction, resulting in lower productivity. Instead, adopt a human-first approach where employees are at the center and technology features second. A human-first approach makes employees 1.5 times more likely to be high performers and 2.3 times more likely to be highly engaged.

• Define Fair Play: Leaders must develop clear guidelines on what AI-generated work is acceptable and train managers to intervene when employees rely too heavily on AI.

Actionable Strategy 3: Solve Loneliness with Intentional Connection

The "loneliness epidemic" is now an acute business risk that causes employee engagement to lag and performance to suffer. Leaders must recognize that proximity alone will not cure loneliness; in fact, on-site workers have reported lower satisfaction with their interactions than remote or hybrid workers every year since 2021.

Leaders must actively guide collaboration by reinforcing a new, more human-centric set of collaboration norms. By fostering a strong sense of belonging and support for wellness, organizations can significantly increase employee commitment and intention to stay.