Terrified Your Best Staff May Leave?
Three Evidence-Based Actions for Supervisors
Voluntary turnover, when valued employees choose to leave, erodes institutional knowledge, decreases morale, and increases recruitment costs (Kim, 2005; Selden & Moynihan, 2000; Kim & Fernandez, 2017). Supervisors are in a unique position to change this trend. While many factors contribute to why employees leave, research consistently shows that direct leadership practices, how supervisors build relationships, support growth, and connect work to purpose, are critical in retaining staff (Caillier, 2016; Wesemann, 2024).
Below are three research-backed actions supervisors can take to keep their teams engaged and committed:
1. Build Trust and Strong Relationships
Listen and act on employee concerns (McCarthy et al., 2020).
Treat team members with respect and fairness (Carless et al., 2000).
Model accountability and cooperation: set the tone you want to see (Bass, 1985; Srithongrung, 2011).
Why this works: Trust in leadership is strongly linked to higher job satisfaction and lower desire to leave (An et al., 2020; Jiang et al., 2012; Vermeeren et al., 2014).
2. Invest in Growth and Development
Provide regular feedback and coaching (McCarthy et al., 2020).
Offer professional development opportunities that align with employee goals (Nielsen & Munir, 2009; Colbert et al., 2016).
Recognize and celebrate individual contributions (McCarthy et al., 2020).
Why this works: Employees who feel supported in their growth are more engaged and less likely to leave (Kim, 2002; Lizano & Barak, 2015; White & Cadiz, 2013; Wesemann, 2024).
3. Connect Work to Mission and Meaning
Make the organization’s mission visible and relevant in daily work (Wright et al., 2012).
Show employees how their efforts contribute to the public good (Caillier, 2016; Bass & Riggio, 2006; Piccolo & Colquitt, 2006).
Give staff ownership over meaningful projects and decisions (Kim & Fernandez, 2017).
Why this works: Employees who can connect their work to their purpose show higher engagement, resilience, and retention (Rainey & Steinbauer, 1999; Caillier, 2016).
Bottom line: Supervisors who build trust, develop their people, and connect work to purpose, all strategies with strong empirical support, can reduce voluntary turnover, strengthen team cohesion, and improve public service delivery.
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