Stick around

We’ve moved on from “The Great Resignation.” But don’t relax just yet. The dust may have settled, but what’s taken its place could be even more corrosive.

Welcome to “The Great Stay.”

All those employees who didn’t leave, but checked out all the same. They’re still on the payroll, showing up at meetings, hitting just enough KPIs to stay unnoticed. But their discretionary effort has quietly left the building.

In my work in organisational culture change, this pattern is becoming more visible. And more troubling. Because unlike resignations, this disengagement doesn’t trigger an exit interview. It simply spreads. The impact is subtle but significant: lower morale, slower collaboration, and a creeping sense of inertia that seeps into everything.

Why do they stay? Sometimes it’s fear of economic uncertainty or a weak job market. Sometimes it’s a habit. But whatever the reason, the cost to culture is real.

So what now?

To retain people in 2025, we must stop confusing presence with participation. Leaders and their HR departments need to stop relying on reactive retention strategies like knee-jerk counter-offers, perks, or vague new job titles - and start building cultures where people want to stay. That begins with treating engagement not as an HR initiative, but as everyone’s responsibility.

Adobe got this right years ago. They scrapped annual performance reviews in favour of regular “check-ins”: simple, human conversations about progress, goals, and support. This shift didn’t just improve satisfaction. Over time it cut turnover by 30% and lifted productivity across the board. It worked because it met people where they were and invested in where they wanted to go.

Engaged employees feel seen, heard and valued. They know how their work matters. They trust their managers. They see a pathway to personal and career growth, and they know someone’s walking the journey with them. They feel safe to speak up, and inspired to lean in.

If we want to win “The Great Stay,” we need to stop asking why people leave (the pointless exit interview) and start asking why they don’t engage. That question is more complex. But it’s also more powerful. Think of parallels outside the workplace - the popular social soccer team, the well attended place of worship, the active alumni group. What do they all have in common? Shared standards, genuine inclusivity, appreciation for active contributors, leaders at every level and interest in one another.

Because when we build cultures of belonging, care, and purpose, when we make it safe and worthwhile for people to give their best - something shifts. The stay becomes an active choice; not just a lack of better options. And attracting new members, who fit in well, requires little effort.