There can be no doubt that the workplace has evolved significantly over the last few years. From the normalisation of hybrid working, to AI driven change, shifting candidate expectations, and increased competition for key skills, virtually every industry has been affected in some way.

One widely discussed aspect of this evolution is how much more willing people now are to reassess what they want from work. Employees are placing greater emphasis on flexibility, purpose, progression, and wellbeing, and many are far more open to moving roles than they were even a decade ago.

This ongoing shift has left companies with something of a secondary crisis to manage: how do you hold on to your top performing staff when talented people have more options, more visibility, and more confidence to make changes.

Even in 2026, many employers are still struggling with retention, particularly across high demand skill areas, and in sectors where work pressures have increased.

However, there are things that any business can do to give themselves the best chance of keeping their most talented workers motivated, loyal, and engaged. Ultimately, what every employee is looking for is a good reason to stay. Your role is to understand those reasons, and build an environment where high performers want to remain.. 

Communicate effectively

One of the fastest ways to alienate staff is to make them feel like they do not know what is going on within the business. Some employers still keep plans and decisions confined to a select group, but doing so can lead employees to feel excluded or undervalued.

When you include employees and keep them updated with information about business performance, direction, and priorities, they feel like a larger part of the organisation. They feel invested, trusted, and involved.

Good communication takes multiple forms. If you sense that a valued member of staff may be questioning their future, or could benefit from more flexibility, speak with them directly. Regular team meetings are also highly recommended, with genuine space for questions, clarity, and open discussion.

In 2026, communication is not just about delivering updates, it is about building trust. 

Regularly check in with staff

It is also a great idea to regularly check in with your staff to get a feel for their morale, motivation and opinion of the company. Doing this actually has two purposes. The first is to get a genuine snapshot of employees’ feelings towards the company. It gives your staff the chance to have their opinion heard and listened to. 

The second purpose is that employees like to be listened to. If employees feel that the company that they work for takes them seriously and wants the best for them, they are more likely to stay loyal to the organisation as a whole. 

Getting their feedback can provide you with useful things that you can action to keep them and the rest of your team happier. If you receive negative feedback – use it wisely. Knowing what your company is doing wrong can be really constructive. It will help you identify key areas to improve and ‘right the wrongs’ that can encourage talented staff to stay on board.

Make the right hiring decisions

It is really worth pointing out that one of the key places for retaining staff comes at the very first stage of their time with the company. When you come to make that initial hiring decision you may be choosing between a number of candidates. Some of those candidates may well have exceptional CVs – but you need to look beyond what they have achieved, and ask: are they likely to stay loyal?

It is a great idea to put a focus behind hiring a team that is going to work well together and that is likely to encourage them to stick around. The costs of having to hire someone new on a regular basis can outweigh the potential gains of hiring an employee with slightly more experience. 

Know when to seek alternatives

It is also important to know which battles to fight. Yes, businesses want to hold on to all of their best staff but in some cases it can be inevitable that some members of the team will leave. 

A good example of this is currently playing out due to the shortage of workers to fill cybersecurity positions. The cybersecurity skills gap is pushing up wages to the point where small businesses cannot hope to afford to retain their best cybersecurity workers, as there are so many larger companies looking for these skills. In an instance like this it makes sense to move your priority away from retaining your team, over to outsourcing a high quality alternative. 

“Organisations are under pressure due to the global shortage of IT security professionals, which now exceeds four million, and means security experts are costly to recruit and retain,” says George Glass, Head of Threat Intelligence at cybersecurity firm Redscan “outsourcing cybersecurity requirements helps to alleviate the pressure on in-house IT and security teams, supplying experts to help carry the load.” 

Pay what a member of staff is worth

There are undoubtedly some employers who will go into every pay review with a plan to keep a member of staff happy while still getting a ‘good deal’ for the business. And for many employers, getting what they want is much easier than they might think. There is evidence to suggest that millennial employees (who make up the majority of the workforce) are less likely to ask for a pay rise than previous generations. 

This can lead to a situation where an employer will feel that it is fine to continue having that member of staff on a lower wage than the market would demand. However, this is not a good strategy for retaining staff. Millennials may not feel comfortable asking for a pay rise, but leaving them on a lower salary than they deserve will only result in them looking at other options.

Most members of staff prefer to be recognised for their hard work rather than having to directly ask for more money. By pre-empting their requests, businesses can make them feel far more positive about a pay rise, and actually build their loyalty too. 

Offer training, development and incentives

Employees don’t like to stagnate. One of the most common reasons for staff to feel like they want to move on from a business is that they feel they don’t have anywhere to progress and aren’t learning anything new. This can leave them feeling frustrated and believing that their only option to further their career is to head elsewhere.

That’s why it can be so effective to offer training and development to employees as a part of their role. Investing in employee training not only provides your business with additional skills and expertise, it can also leave them feeling more positive about the company that is helping to further their career. 

Offering top-performing employees incentives can successfully motivate staff. By actively proving that you value your staff, you inadvertently enrich your entire workplace culture.

A good working environment is vital

We’ll finish this on the note that having a great working environment is probably the single most important thing that a business can do to retain staff. Workers are more likely to stick around if they like where they work and feel happy. It is up to you to provide this working environment and to understand what it takes to make it.