Retention as a Luxury of Simplicity

Hello,

 

On 10 September, we hosted a leadership roundtable with our associate Organisational Psychologist, Genevieve Deacon. Together, we explored a pressing truth for organisations today:

👉 Most organisations are bleeding energy, focus, and capability, but don’t notice until it’s too late.

 

The Silent Tax of Disengagement

From nearly 30,000 employees surveyed post-Covid, our data shows:

• 25% are disengaged
• Only 10% are actively engaged
• 18% are at serious turnover intention (about to walk out the door)
• 13% productivity loss every month

The cost isn’t just in headcount, it’s in lower morale, diluted focus, and lost energy.

Consider this:
An 8-person team, average salaries of £50K. If two are disengaged (25%), what’s the cost of productivity loss? Of turnover? Of team morale?

Our calculations tell us that the loss in productivity to be around £1100 per person per month (on a £50k annual salary) and cost of turnover to be between £37k – £75k per person (once-off).

Now imagine the ripple effect across your whole organisation.

 

What the Data Reveals

It’s not burnout that is the biggest drain, it’s disconnection.

• Turnover intention and low engagement cause more productivity loss than stress-related ill health.
• People don’t leave overnight. They withdraw energy, creativity, and discretionary effort long before the resignation letter arrives.

By then, productivity loss has already happened.

 

Where Leaders Can Start

Our research shows three critical levers:

1. Role Clarity – Clear expectations and consistent job information.
2. Growth and Development – Visible career paths and future opportunities.
3. Effective Communication – Consistency, transparency, and alignment.

When these fail, disengagement spreads quietly, eroding trust, energy, and motivation.

 

Unlocking the Nine-Box Grid

Using the Subio Nine-Box Framework and our Organisational Human Factors Benchmarking™ (OHFB) model, we see that turnover intention is not random.

It’s the cumulative effect of:

• Capability – Do people and systems have what they need?
• Focus – Is energy channelled toward what matters?
• Energy – Do people believe, care, and want to give more?

Alignment across organisation, leaders, and individuals creates flow, resilience, and sustainable performance.

 

A Reframe for Leaders

Instead of asking:
❌ “How do we stop people leaving?”

Ask:
✅ “How do we create conditions so compelling they never want to?”

Instead of reacting late, ask:
“What signals are already here that I’m not paying attention to?”

Engagement is not an HR initiative.
It is a leadership choice, a culture signal, and an energy system.

 

The Challenge

Imagine if your teams had:

• Clarity instead of confusion
• Growth instead of stagnation
• Consistent communication instead of shifting expectations

These are not abstract ideals. They are levers leaders can pull now, to prevent disengagement, reduce turnover, and unlock performance that lasts.