Retaining your best talent has never been more critical - or more challenging. In today's competitive market, employees have more choices than ever, and the costs of turnover continue to climb. The good news? The most effective retention strategies aren't about expensive perks or complex programs. They're about fundamental leadership practices that create environments where people want to stay.
This guide compiles proven retention practices from successful leaders across industries. Each insight comes from real experiences of executives who have built loyal, high-performing teams. We hope these strategies help you strengthen your organization in 2026 and beyond.
1. Foster Psychological Safety and Give Everyone a Voice
Cat Colella Graham, Internal Communications Leader, Adjunct Professor, and Executive Coach, studied what made certain divisions perform better than others. The answer? Making sure you create an environment that feels safe, where everyone has a space to fail without fear of retribution. 'Psychological safety is so important because you never know where that great idea is going to come from,' she explains. You will only get the best of your team if you create a space where they feel safe enough to bring their full selves.
Key Practice: In Cat's company, it didn't matter what level you were - you always had a voice. 'You could literally be on a client call, and Emily could have said, "Cat, wait a second. I think this is a better approach." And I'd be like, "Okay, Emily, tell us more." It was very safe to do that.'
Additional Insight: Give junior team members a chance to lead meetings and set agendas. Rotating who leads meetings develops confident team members and powerful team structures. This contributes to building that safe environment where everyone feels seen and heard.
2. Lead with Empathy and Transparency
Fred Bateman, CEO of Bateman Agency, transformed his PR agency culture through radical transparency and empathetic leadership. He makes the company's P&L available to all employees at any time and implements salary transparency with equal pay for equal work. His philosophy: 'people before profits and relationships before revenue.' This approach resulted in exceptionally high employee satisfaction scores and proved that when employees understand the full picture, they become more invested in success.
Key Practice: Fred defends his team 'almost to mama bear level' against clients he feels are treating them unfairly. He's quick to resign clients who are disrespectful to his team. This mama bear approach to retention shows employees that leadership truly has their back.
The Result: Employees stay because 'they always know Fred has their back, they can make mistakes, and I'm still going to side with them, not with the client.' Some former employees have even hired the agency after moving to the corporate side.
3. Recognize That Culture Lives in the Manager-Employee Relationship
Cat Colella Graham emphasizes: 'The smallest unit of culture is between manager and employee.' No matter what leadership says, it's the manager who gives employees the reason to believe - and the reason to stay.
Key Practice: Equip managers with guidance on what to say, how often to communicate, and give them the FAQ. They need to know how often they should be socializing with their teams, which is really fast and often. Managers should be shoulder-to-shoulder with their teams, not leaving at 3:30 for the gym while asking others to stay until 8 PM.
This is a new expectation that's necessary to keep your best talent. While managers of the past were hierarchical, today’s successful manager is in it with the team. The manager's schedule reflects the team’s schedules, and the manager doesn’t have special privileges that the team doesn’t have access to.
4. Show Genuine Interest in People's Whole Lives
Angela Griffo, VP of Corporate Marketing with Socure, never conducts one-on-ones without asking personal questions: 'How's your wife? How’s your back pain feeling? What are you planning this weekend?' She sees managers fall down when they only ask, 'What are you working on? Where are you on your OKRs?'
Key Practice: Be genuinely interested in what motivates people outside of work. If someone is training for a marathon, figure out how to accommodate their schedule. If someone's kid is sick, be the first to say 'family first.' If you have a large team, keep a notes log with personal information to refresh your memory on connection points with members. Without this level of conversation, relationships become transactional.
5. Understand and Adapt to Individual Working Styles
Nicole Messier, Managing Director, Corporate with MSL, learned from a C-suite mentor about the power of a 'How to Work with Me' document. This simple exercise helps team members understand each other's preferences and breaks down barriers. With each new person that joins the team, Nicole shares her own ‘How to Work with Me’ doc and asks the new member to share their own version as well.
Example: One colleague prefers to receive feedback in writing first: 'I love feedback, but I actually do better when I can digest it first, have my own moment with it, and then come talk to you about it.' This works so well that Nicole now requests her performance reviews ahead of time so she can digest them before the discussion.
Or, as Nicole will often work later at night to catch up on work and subsequently email her team during that time, she makes it clear in her ‘How to Work with Me’ document that this is her personal process, but in no way does she expect her team to respond to her at 9 pm. These documents provide needed clarity for team success.
Janel Steinberg, Vice President with Liberty Communications, emphasizes: 'You need to manage people for the way they want to be managed,' not the way you like to be managed. Some people want pressure, others need handholding, others want autonomy. Learning these styles makes all the difference.
6. Deliver Feedback That Empowers, Not Diminishes
Christine Bragale, Director of Global Communications and Board Director for RefuSHE, calls feedback 'the greatest gift you can give somebody.' Critical feedback helps people course-correct and avoid repeating mistakes. But positive feedback is equally important - if people only hear negatives, they feel like they're not good at what they do.
Key Practice: Make positive feedback specific: not just 'great job,' but 'here's why it was a great job.' This helps people understand what they're doing well and feel valued and connected.
Jeff Koo, Vice President with SHIFT Communications, shares his story: When his manager gave him a list of 30 things to improve, he taped them to his monitor and worked on them daily. Within weeks, everyone noticed the shift. The key? He took the feedback as information about how to perform better, not as personal criticism.
Angela Griffo's Rule: Angela adds, 'Celebrate their wins. Give feedback in the moment - don't wait two weeks, do it immediately. And the same goes for wins. A happy team is a productive, successful team.' Specific, honest, and immediate feedback closes the loop while context is still fresh, giving more power to the possibility of positive change. Celebrating your team's wins will help people feel seen and heard, and people tend to repeat the behaviors that earn recognition.
7. Actively Support Career Development and Promotions
Angela Griffo received career-changing advice early on: 'Look at the job description above yours and act as if you are that role.' She credits this approach to her fast promotions and now teaches her staff the same strategy.
How It Works: Employees continue their day-to-day work while looking for ways to take on higher-level responsibilities. They have regular conversations with managers: 'I feel like I'm almost there. What opportunities are available for me to stretch my skills in new areas...' Any good manager recognizes this as positive - staff who are motivated to grow and push themselves help build successful teams. This is how employees show they are ready for the next level.
April Conyers, Co-Founder of Thumbs Up, emphasizes: 'You have to be an advocate for yourself. Nobody's going to do it for you.' But as a manager, you can facilitate this by: (1) Having strong written goals that you revisit quarterly, (2) Paying attention to what employees achieve, and (3) Asking 'How are you doing with your goals? Is there anything I can do to help?'
8. Build Strong Relationships Between Managers and Direct Reports
Keith Willis, Leadership Expert and President of Core Management Training, learned that 'the most important relationship you have in any organization is the relationship with your manager.' Initially, he avoided his manager when they had a difficult relationship. But when someone advised him to reach out every couple of weeks, everything changed.
The Result: Because of the relationship Keith developed during those calls over time, his manager got a good sense of where his goals and strengths were. When Keith didn't receive a promotion, his manager took time to call and explain: 'We have you slated for this different position that is better suited, don't worry.' That relationship - built through regular communication - made all the difference.
Keith's Wisdom: 'If two people are in a room and they agree on everything, one of them you don't need.' Conflict can be good - you don't need to agree on everything to have a strong working relationship.
9. Handle Terminations with Dignity and Empathy
Fred Bateman approaches terminations with empathy and often counsels people toward better-fit opportunities. 'We've always tried to handle them with a lot of empathy, and some people that we've terminated have turned around and hired us as their agency when they've ended up on the corporate side.'
Janet Parker, HR and Operations expert, suggests the following approach: Be clear on the issue. Avoid bringing up ancient history - focus on what's happening now. Set clear expectations: 'Here's what my expectations are, here's what it looks like when you're meeting them, here's what it looks like when you're not.' If issues continue, outline next steps with no surprises.
Alex Ebanks, Communications Lead with Visa, shares her philosophy: Give many chances and try different approaches - different projects, different cross-functional partners - before reaching termination. 'If you're going to err on a side, I think it's always better to err on the side of being a good human.'
Reminder: Your current employees are watching how you treat departing employees. These moments define your culture as much as how you treat people when they're thriving.
10. Offer Flexibility and Trust Your Team
Jessi Adler, Managing Director of Plat4orm, asked her former employer for a hybrid work arrangement and was told no. Nine months later, she found a fully remote position that allowed her to travel the country while working. 'It's just nice being in a company that fully supports the whole package of everything,' she says.
Cat Colella Graham's Approach: 'Work from where you work best so long as you meet your clients on their time' was a powerful value proposition for attracting talent. It signals trust and acknowledges that results matter more than location.
Gen Z Perspective: Today's workforce 'works to live, not lives to work.' They work smarter, not harder, asking: 'Is there technology or a more efficient way to solve this challenge?' This isn't laziness - it's effectiveness.
11. Actively Prevent Burnout and Support Work-Life Integration
Kendall Sadler, Director of Global Communications with Remitly, hit a wall after six years of sprinting toward her company's IPO. Her leader didn't accept her plan to take a year off. Instead, he asked: 'What is going to get you healthy?' He encouraged her to identify things that bring energy and fill her tank: 'If you're not doing those things, your outputs won't be as strong.'
Kendall's Framework: She created a quadrant identifying: (1) Commitments to herself, (2) Support needed from family, (3) Permissions needed from the company, (4) Things to say no to at work. After aligning with all stakeholders, she was able to strike a strong balance and continue contributing at a high level.
Isobel Petersen, Head of Talent Acquisition and Operations with Milltown Partners, shares advice: Do first drafts, then sleep on them. Don't pull all-nighters. 'I will feel like a better friend and colleague if I actually log off and don't cancel my evening plans. Then I can log back in the morning even more ready to go.' Thriving corporate environments promote this way of thinking.
12. Make Meetings Meaningful and Efficient
Nicole Messier learned from a co-CEO to start meetings by asking: 'How are you coming into this meeting? What's going on?' This centers everyone and acknowledges that people work, live, and breathe growing a business, but they're also a team that should find joy in that.
Nicole's Meeting Essentials:
• Share your 'How to Work with Me' document so people understand your communication preferences
• Make sure people understand what you're trying to get out of each meeting before it starts
• Set expectations clearly (e.g., 'I go to inbox zero, so if I haven't responded, I will by tonight - but if I email at 7 PM, I don't expect you to respond then')
The Lesson from a C-Suite Mentor: Nicole's mentor taught her to value executive time: create a strong read-ahead, create a great agenda, and be in and out in 15 minutes. Ask yourself: 'Could this have been an email? Great, then let's not have a meeting.'
13. Hire for Cultural Fit and Values Alignment
Nicole Messier uses a three-round interview process: one person focuses on values, one on creativity, and one on domain expertise. They look for people who check boxes on most of their five core values: Can you test yourself? Will you stay curious? Do you embrace that not all minds think alike?
Cat Colella Graham focused on hiring 'curious folks that are really hungry, that want the experience, that want to do this.' Combined with flexibility and making sure everyone had a voice, this created a powerful formula for attraction and retention.
Janet Parker's Warning: She once investigated a senior leader behaving inappropriately, who brought in significant revenue. She had to explain to leadership: 'This is what employees are looking for - understanding that you can have a bad actor, but it's when there isn't any follow-up that problems escalate. What is most important?' If you do nothing about a toxic employee, it will create chaos and make a high-functioning, successful team very unlikely. The Navy SEALs won't take even the most perfect candidate if they're a jerk - it will poison the whole organization.
14. Value and Develop Adaptability and Resilience
Natalie Maguire, Head of Revenue & Advertising Communications with Snap, experienced multiple company acquisitions and regulatory investigations while at Giphy - situations she never expected. Her approach? 'Not seeing change as a challenge or challenges as an opponent, but as an opportunity.'
Key Practice: When facing change, don't think 'How can I make what was working fit into this new scenario?' Instead, flip the script: 'I have this change. How do I make the most of it? How do I take this new opportunity and bring my company into it?'
For Leaders: If employees can prove their adaptability and resilience, especially during tough times, let that open doors. Lean in to working with them and giving them more, because you'll know you can trust them with it.
15. Build Culture Through Engagement Activities
Anna Taylor, Director of Brand & Communications with Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, launched a game show using Kahoot that combines adult learning principles with cultural celebration. When she first pitched it, everyone said, 'no one's going to want to play.' But it became one of their top-rated engagement activities.
The Lesson: Started from a simple team meeting where Anna did a Family Feud-style game to help her team understand their KPIs. It was so fun that they tried it with a larger group. The enthusiasm and engagement proved that creative, fun approaches to learning and culture-building work.
Key Insight: Don't be afraid to try unconventional engagement activities. What seems like 'just fun' can organically grow into a core cultural touchstone.
16. Lead Your Team Through Setbacks and Economic Uncertainty
Morgan McLintic, CEO of Firebrand Communications, shares that it’s not about the setback, it’s about the bounce back. How quickly you bounce back from setbacks determines your success. Leaders who model quick recovery create cultures where innovation thrives. Team members learn that failure isn’t fatal - response matters more.
The Lesson: Recessions are when leaders prove their worth. You will feel uncertain, your team will feel uncertain, and everyone around you will feel uncertain. How you treat people during hard times determines whether they stay when things improve. Morgan reminds us to remember your team has real human stakes - they have families and mortgages - use the new constraints as catalysts for innovation, not just cost-cutting.
Key Insight: Leaders who trust that difficulties are temporary create hope. Remember to share your personal examples of past difficulties that led to unexpected opportunities and help your team create a new perspective.
Moving Forward: Your 2026 Retention Strategy
The thread running through all these practices is simple: treat people as whole human beings, not just employees. When you:
• Lead with transparency and empathy
• Create psychological safety
• Show genuine interest in people's whole lives
• Give meaningful feedback
• Support career growth
• Offer flexibility and prevent burnout
• Hire for values
...you create an environment where people don't just stay - they thrive.
Remember Cat Colella Graham's insight: 'The smallest unit of culture is between manager and employee.' Your retention strategy succeeds or fails in thousands of daily interactions between managers and their teams. Start there, and everything else follows.
We're here to help you build and retain exceptional teams in 2026. If you are looking to add talent to your team or if you'd like to discuss any of these strategies and how they might apply to your specific situation, please don't hesitate to reach out.
To Your Success,
Jolie Downs, Paradigm
www.paradigmstaffing.com
All insights in this guide come from successful leaders interviewed on the Career Wanderlust podcast. Visit the podcast to hear their full stories and additional career wisdom.
https://paradigmstaffing.com/podcasts
Contributing guests:
Cat Colella Graham, Fred Bateman,
Janel Steinberg, April Conyers
Kendall Sadler, Isobel Petersen