Unlocking Employee Retention: The Manager's Role and Career Pathing

Turnover is a formidable challenge for businesses, particularly when it involves high-performing employees. To tackle this issue, HR departments need to focus on creating fulfilling career paths and fostering robust relationships between employees and their managers. According to McLean & Company’s latest research, these are pivotal strategies for improving retention.

Reducing Turnover: The Impact of Manager-Employee Relationships

Voluntary turnover is not just a financial burden; it adversely affects overall organizational performance. According to Unleash, McLean & Company’s data reveals that organizations with low attrition rates (10% or less) report stronger performances. A substantial factor is the critical role played by the relationship between managers and their team members.

What often goes unnoticed is that many stories leading to employee departures are untold, except perhaps in exit interviews. It’s thus essential to move beyond a mere informal attrition approach, as McLean & Company suggests, and construct conditions conducive to employee retention.

Empowering Managers: The Key to Retention

The key role of managers cannot be overstated. McLean & Company’s Practice Lead, William Howard, emphasizes the significance of leadership development programs. To genuinely influence retention, HR leaders must equip managers with the necessary competencies enabling them to engage in meaningful conversations with team members about their goals and concerns. Such interactions can uncover retention tactics that data alone might miss.

Career Pathing: The Road to Employee Satisfaction

Aside from fostering strong manager-employee bonds, it’s crucial to establish clear career progression paths. Employees yearn for growth, and the absence of career pathing frameworks can lead to disengagement, attrition, and a search for opportunities elsewhere. As stated by Lexi Hambides from McLean & Company, creating tailor-fit job roles and projects can boost retention and overall satisfaction.

A Win-Win Scenario for Businesses

Successfully aligning employee skills and interests with suitable projects yields higher organizational performance, as demonstrated by McLean & Company’s 2025 HR Trends Survey. This not only curbs turnover but also retains top-talent critical for current operations and future success.

Incorporating these insights and strategies can significantly impact employee retention, making organizations thrive now and in the years ahead.