The Black Glass Guide to Retention

We’re not going to sugarcoat it: employee engagement is in trouble. Gallup found that in the U.S., it fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024, with only 31% of employees engaged and 17% actively disengaged.

A combination of factors are driving this, from a lack of clear expectations (46% of employees clearly know what is expected of them at work) to an absence of care (39% of employees feel strongly that someone cares about them; only 30% of people strongly agree that someone at work encourages their development).

So what’s the way forward? Keep your best people by giving them the best work of their lives.

Here are 5 tips for re-engaging and retaining top talent, from your friends at Black Glass:

1. Reduce whiplash with thoughtful onboarding 🚪

Nearly 90% of employees decide whether to stay or go within the first six months of joining an organization (SHRM). That means getting started on the right foot is critical. Onboarding should mirror the organization at large (e.g. Netflix’s “Welcome Home” onboarding signals connection, while Spotify’s “controlled chaos” approach emphasizes creative problem solving), and it shouldn’t stop at Day One. Reduce whiplash by intentionally designing onboarding to the company, the group, the team, and the role.

2. Practice re-recruiting with a focus on meaningful work 🔁

Onboarding shouldn’t stop with new hires. We’re advocates of re-recruiting and ensuring employees are consistently jobcrafting to make their work meaningful for them. A LinkedIn study found that 94% of employees would stay longer at companies that invested in their career development (e.g. Google's "20% time" policy, which allows employees to spend one day per week on side projects and has led to innovations like Gmail and Google News while boosting retention).

3. Give decision rights 🗳️

Being able to do meaningful work depends on having the ability to make decisions. A Cornell study found that organizations that involved employees in decision-making had 53% lower turnover. Netflix practices context not control, giving their teams the context and clarity needed to make good decisions instead of trying to control everything themselves.

4. Foster connection with mentorship programs 👥

According to a Deloitte study, millennials planning to stay with their employer for more than five years were twice as likely to have a mentor. Salesforce’s Trailblazer Mentorship Program invites employees to apply as mentors or mentees for personal and professional development (and has a significantly higher retention rate than average tech organizations).

5. Create more stages to showcase awesome people 🏆

It’s only human to look for recognition of efforts. Employees who receive regular recognition are 5x more likely to stay (Gallup). Zappos uses a peer-to-peer recognition system where employees award each other "Zollars" (company currency) that can be redeemed for various perks.