Data from 2025 shows that more than 51% of employees are actively looking for new jobs. The same research shows that 42% of turnover can be prevented with the right approach. By implementing effective employee retention strategies, nearly half of departures could be avoided.
Every employee exit is a break in connection, a loss of valuable expertise and a cost to the business. To combat this, HR leaders are building frameworks to support engagement from first touch through career milestones. Here are the 10 employee retention strategies making a difference right now.
1. Hire for Staying Power with Smarter Candidate Matching
Set expectations from the moment someone applies. AI-powered matching helps align candidates not only on skills, but on intent and culture, reducing early mismatches and improving ramp-up time. The goal is to hire faster while finding the right fit so employees stay longer and contribute more value over time. When candidates understand what to expect, and when recruiters can identify people who align with the work and the environment, retention naturally improves.
An example of this is the Radancy Talent Acquisition Cloud. Designed to deliver the future of talent acquisition, the AI-powered platform combines intelligent automation, reimagined search experiences and data-driven insights to help teams connect with best-fit candidates earlier in the hiring journey – laying the foundation for stronger retention and long-term impact.
2. Make Employee Referrals an Employee Retention Strategy
Employee referrals are a powerful way to source talent and boost retention by bringing in better-fit candidates who stay longer. People who are referred often already understand what it’s like to work at the company. That means fewer surprises and stronger cultural alignment. In fact, referred hires typically stay 70% longer than non-referrals. Referrals also energize your current workforce.
Employees feel more connected when they have a say in shaping the teams they work on, and a well-designed referral program creates a strong feedback loop of trust and engagement.
When supported by the right technology, referral programs scale easily and keep momentum high. Radancy’s Employee Referrals makes it simple to promote jobs, track results and reward participation – so your best people can help bring in more of the same.
3. Reimagine the Candidate Experience and Set the Right Expectations
The application process is often a candidate’s first impression of how a company operates. When that experience is seamless, on-brand and engaging, it sets the tone for transparency and trust. But when the process is inconsistent – with confusing job descriptions, clunky workflows or mismatched messaging – it can lead to misaligned expectations and early disengagement.
That’s why leading employers are turning to Radancy and solutions like BCX (Branded Candidate Experience) for reimagined candidate experiences that reflect their values, culture and goals from the very first interaction. By building journeys that align with your employee value proposition and the ambitions of your audience, you help people see where they fit – and what they’re moving toward.
4. Invest in Internal Mobility and Career Pathing
When people feel stuck, they start looking elsewhere. Internal mobility is a proven way to boost retention, and companies that support career growth see stronger results. According to research, 67% of organizations that are confident in their career-growth programs are better able to retain talent.
It starts with visibility. Make it easy for employees to find open roles, build new skills and envision themselves growing within the organization. Internal talent marketplaces, mentoring programs and transparent promotion tracks give people a reason to stay and grow.
5. Prioritize Purpose and Values Alignment
People want to feel connected to the bigger picture. When they understand how their work contributes to a larger purpose, they feel more motivated to stay. In a recent survey, only 23% of employees reported feeling truly engaged at work – while 62% said they were simply going through the motions.
Embedding purpose into your employer brand – and reinforcing it through onboarding, recognition and day-to-day leadership – can help employees find meaning in their roles and a sense of belonging in the business. But to truly build trust, that purpose needs to be backed by ongoing employee engagement, not just promises made during recruitment.
6. Design for Flexibility and Life-Stage Needs
Flexibility continues to top employee wish lists. From hybrid work to compressed schedules, people want options that fit their lives. And the companies that offer flexibility are seeing the benefits. A Stanford-led study found that employees working in a hybrid model just two days a week from home were equally productive and experienced 33% lower turnover compared to fully in-office peers.
Flexibility goes beyond location. It’s about understanding what people need – whether that’s time for caregiving, a phased return after leave or gradual retirement. The more you can personalize work arrangements, the more likely employees are to stay.
7. Build a Culture of Continuous Feedback and Listening
Engaged teams are built on trust. And trust starts by listening – not just to employees, but to candidates too. Regular pulse surveys, manager check-ins and anonymous feedback tools help employees feel heard, while candidate surveys on your career site offer insight into what matters most to job seekers.
By understanding what resonates early in the journey, you can fine-tune your messaging to attract the right talent – and keep them engaged long after they join. When people see their feedback lead to real change, engagement rises. The result? Stronger culture, better alignment and lower turnover.
8. Recognize and Reward Meaningful Contributions
Recognition is one of the simplest ways to improve morale – and one of the most overlooked. It doesn’t always need to be big or formal. What matters is consistency, sincerity and connection to values. Recognition tied to real contributions and outcomes boosts pride and encourages repeat performance.
Employees who feel appreciated are five times more likely to stay – making consistent recognition a successful employee retention strategy.
9. Upskill and Reskill to Future-Proof Talent
Skills gaps are widening – and employees want to keep growing. LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report shows that 7 in 10 employees say upskilling is more important than ever, and companies with strong learning cultures see employees stay almost twice as long.
Offering structured learning, mentoring and growth pathways signals that you’re invested in your people’s future. It also improves retention. Employees in organizations that prioritize upskilling are 47% less likely to be actively looking for a new job.
Future-ready teams are built through continuous development – not just during onboarding, but throughout the employee journey.
10. Equip Managers to Lead with Empathy and Insight
The manager-employee relationship remains one of the biggest predictors of retention. Yet, only 27% of managers felt engaged themselves, creating a trickle-down effect across teams.
Equipping managers with better tools, training and feedback channels helps them lead with clarity and empathy. Whether it’s understanding workload trends or having better development conversations, managers who are supported can create better experiences for their teams.
Putting It All Together
Employee retention strategies don’t exist in isolation. It takes a connected approach – and the right technology – to move from reactive fixes to proactive, data-driven outcomes. From the moment a candidate hits apply, their journey is already shaping how long they’ll stay.
Built to deliver the future of talent acquisition, the Radancy Talent Acquisition Cloud empowers teams to create reimagined candidate experiences that drive long-term engagement. Through intelligent automation and predictive hiring insights, every moment is designed to support stronger matches and more sustainable results.
When you hire with retention in mind, every other investment – learning, recognition, career growth – has a greater impact. Because a great hire today builds the workforce of tomorrow.
Want to see it in action?
Book a demo and explore how Radancy can help your team simplify hiring, reduce costs and maximize ROI.
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- How AI-Powered Messaging is Redefining Recruitment Marketing - June 6, 2025
- Inside the AI-Driven Hiring Process: From Fragmented Tools to Connected, Ethical Hiring - June 2, 2025
- How Recruitment Automation Is Redefining Talent Acquisition - May 22, 2025
- Why Talent Acquisition Software Is Transforming the Future of Hiring - May 8, 2025
- Why Recruitment Branding Matters in the Era of AI-Driven Hiring - May 5, 2025
- AI in HR: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow - April 17, 2025
- The Video Interview Advantage: Rethinking Hiring - April 4, 2025
