In 2024, the story of Elliot Hill went viral. Before his announcement as the new CEO of Nike, he had been with the company for 37 years. He started as an Intern in Apparel Sales before eventually becoming the luxury brand’s CEO. In Kenya, countless employees possess similar potential to rise within organizations and achieve great things. But the question is: are employers truly nurturing and fostering this potential within their people and workplace? Is this kind of long-term loyalty and retention possible in Kenya? Can employees in the country stay with one company for years, climbing the ladder in the same way?
Having said this, employee retention continues to be a significant challenge for businesses in the country. A latest report reveals that a staggering 40% of employees in Kenya do not stay with a company for more than a year before handing in their resignation. This trend cuts across various industries, and even the most renowned companies are not immune to it. So, why is employee retention such a persistent issue? And what can you, as an employer or hiring manager do to ensure you retain the talent you’ve worked hard to recruit?
One of the strongest drivers of job satisfaction is when an employee finds purpose in their job. Employees who see their work as meaningful tend to be more engaged, motivated, and satisfied.
How to Achieve It:
Help employees understand how their work aligns with the company’s greater mission.
Ensure that job roles match employees' passions and values. This will foster a sense of personal fulfillment. The best time to do this is during the interview stage by engaging them in a personality test.
Burnout is a major factor in job dissatisfaction. A healthy work-life balance allows employees to be more productive and engaged while maintaining personal well-being. According to statistics from Hubstaff, 72% of employees believe work-life balance is a crucial factor in job satisfaction, with flexible work arrangements increasing overall happiness by 60%. When employees are satisfied with their job, it is easy to retain them.
How to Achieve It:
Set clear boundaries between work and personal life, encouraging employees to fully disconnect after work hours.
Promote regular breaks throughout the day and prioritize self-care to prevent burnout.
Offer flexible work arrangements when possible, such as remote work or adjustable hours, as research shows that flexible work options can increase employee happiness by 60%.
Discover more tips on how to promote a healthy work-life balance
A supportive and inclusive work environment fosters career happiness. Employees thrive when they feel valued, respected, and part of a team. This increases employee retention by 100%.
How to Achieve It:
Build strong relationships with employees.
Encourage open communication and feedback.
Participate in team-building activities.
People are happier in their careers when they see opportunities for professional growth. Continuous learning and skill enhancement contribute to long-term job satisfaction. This is especially true not just for career growth but for retaining employees. According to the LinkedIn 2025 Workplace Learning Report, upskilling, coaching, and internal role changes help people feel valued and more likely to stay with their organizations.
How to Achieve It:
Encourage employees to set clear career goals and actively seek out learning opportunities to help them grow.
Offer training programs, workshops, and online courses that support both their current role and future aspirations.
Provide mentorship or coaching to guide employees in their career development, showing them the company’s investment in their growth.
One of the ways you can increase employee retention is to offer fair remuneration and perks. While money isn’t everything, fair pay and good benefits contribute to job satisfaction. Employees who feel underpaid or undervalued are more likely to leave your organization. A survey conducted by MyJobMag lists money, perks, and benefits as the top reasons why people feel fulfilled in their jobs.
How to Achieve It:
Research industry standard remuneration with mysalaryscale.com and offer fair compensation to employees.
Encourage employees to take advantage of workplace benefits such as healthcare, retirement plans, and wellness programs.
Provide performance-based incentives and rewards.
Feeling recognized for your hard work boosts morale and motivation. Employees who receive appreciation from their managers and peers report higher levels of job satisfaction.
How to Achieve It:
Celebrate employee achievements, both big and small.
Openly acknowledge employee contributions.
Create a workplace culture that values and rewards employee efforts.
Work uncertainty can lead employees to seek opportunities elsewhere. When employees feel secure in their roles, they are more engaged, productive, and committed to the company’s long-term success. A stable work environment reduces turnover making job security a critical factor in employee retention.
How to Achieve It:
Build a reputation as a company with strong financial stability and growth potential to reassure employees about their future.
Invest in employee development by encouraging them to expand their skill sets, increasing their long-term value within the organization.
Be transparent about business performance and job expectations, ensuring employees feel informed and confident in their roles.
Good relationships with employees play a crucial role in employee retention. A supportive culture makes the work environment more enjoyable and productive thereby increasing employee retention.
How to Achieve It:
Encourage open communication and teamwork to strengthen collaboration and trust among employees.
Promote a culture of constructive conflict resolution, ensuring that disagreements are handled professionally and respectfully.
Organize team-bonding activities and social events to help employees build strong workplace connections beyond their daily tasks.
A well-structured onboarding process helps employees integrate seamlessly into the organization and reduces early turnover. If your onboarding process only does the barest minimum, it is time to review it.
How to Achieve It:
Offer clear training and role expectations from the start.
Assign mentors or buddies to new hires.
Regularly check in on new employees to ensure they feel supported.
Employees want to know how they are performing and where they can improve. Regular feedback ordinarily drives development and engagement in the workplace.
How to Achieve It:
Schedule performance reviews and constructive feedback sessions.
Encourage open discussions about career growth.
Recognize strengths while providing guidance for improvement.
Employees perform better in a workplace that is physically and mentally conducive.
How to Achieve It:
Ensure the office environment is clean, well-lit, and comfortable.
Implement workplace safety protocols and wellness programs.
This is one of the best ways to increase employee retention. Employees feel more valued and engaged when they have a say in company decisions. This has an overall impact on employee performance.
How to Achieve It:
Encourage employee feedback and act on valuable suggestions.
Include employees in strategic discussions that impact their roles.
Show employees that their voices matter.
Leadership plays a crucial role in employee retention. Employees are more likely to stay in an organization where they trust, love, and respect their leaders.
How to Achieve It:
Lead by example with integrity and transparency.
Show empathy and support for employees' career growth.
Communicate a clear vision that employees can rally behind.
Many companies conduct interviews only when they want to hire. In contrast, stay interviews help identify challenges before employees leave. A simple stay interview may prevent may prevent top talent from walking out the door. During the interview, you may uncover workplace frustrations, unmet expectations, or career growth concerns that are deal-breakers for your employees.
How to Achieve It:
Regularly check in with employees to understand their job satisfaction.
Ask what they like and what could be improved about their work experience.
Use feedback to make proactive changes that improve retention.
Monotonous work and isolation can lead to disengagement. Employees thrive when given opportunities to collaborate beyond their immediate teams.
How to Achieve It:
Organize cross-functional projects that allow employees to work with different teams.
Encourage knowledge-sharing across departments to spark creativity and innovation.
Rotate employees into different roles or assignments to keep work dynamic and engaging.
Employee retention is not just an HR metric. It is an advantage to your company. Every time a valuable employee leaves, your company loses more than just talent. It loses money spent on hiring and training a replacement in addition to killing team morale.
The best organizations don’t just fill positions. They build careers. Employees don’t leave jobs. They leave workplaces that fail to invest in them. So if your company wants to keep its best people, make retention a daily priority, not just a reaction to turnover.
Bear in mind that companies with 100% employee retention rate are not the ones offering the highest salaries. They are the ones giving employees the best reasons to stay.
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