The Retention Gap

They walk out of business and government every day.

There is usually a lunch or a party of some sort so co-workers can joke about eccentricities and give a farewell present. The event is a simple gesture when compared to what it honors - years of work and sacrifice – and in many cases is poorly attended.

And then they’re gone. Years of talent and insight have departed and protocol requires that people scramble to make things as normal as possible. That is, of course, a fiction. You can fill vacancies but you never replace people. Some organizations suffer for years after one person with extraordinary talent leaves. Organizational memory strolls out the door and the group does nothing to retain it.

Does attempting to retain an experienced and highly skilled employee require too much effort? Are the executives and managers so busy that one of them can’t sit down with the individual to determine if there is any way the decision can be reversed?

If the person has retired, doesn’t it make sense to keep Mary or Paul in the information loop as part of a brain trust? We’ve all seen blunders that occurred because no one recalled the fiasco of seven or eight years ago when a similar program was launched. One person with some gray hair and a few scars could have made a positive difference.

But we let that person walk out the door.