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The Money Desk · Blog
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How to Prevent the “Great Stay” From Becoming the “Great Stagnation”

Lower turnover is not proof that employees are growing. Learn how organizations can pair retention with learning, visible career paths, feedback and new opportunities.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Lower employee turnover can give organizations continuity, but it does not mean workers are engaged, learning or advancing. Preventing a “Great Stay” from becoming stagnation means pairing retention with visible growth: ongoing learning, clear internal career paths, useful feedback, varied work and supportive managers.

What “Great Stay” means—and what it doesn’t

The “Great Stay” describes a period when fewer workers voluntarily leave their jobs. A June 2024 Forbes article connected the trend to economic uncertainty and workers’ perceived risks in changing jobs. It also pointed to factors employees may value in staying, including advancement opportunities, benefits, workplace relationships, supportive managers, cultural fit and meaningful work.

These are explanations discussed in that article, not causes established by turnover statistics. Lower turnover alone cannot tell an employer whether people are staying because they are thriving, see a future at the organization or simply feel safer not changing jobs.

Susan LaMonica, Citizens’ chief human resources officer, cautioned that focusing on retention as a cost-saving measure can leave development and onboarding underfunded, potentially harming motivation, innovation and performance. Her core advice was: “Regardless of labor market conditions, employees expect and require opportunities to learn and grow from their employers.”

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Why growth needs to accompany retention

When employees remain in the same roles without new skills, responsibilities or a credible path forward, continuity can harden into stagnation. Employers should treat retention and development as complementary: keeping experienced people can preserve knowledge, while investing in their growth gives them reasons and opportunities to contribute in new ways.

The evidence here supports these steps as expert and professional recommendations, not as interventions with a measured causal effect. There is no established ranking of which measure works best; organizations need to assess whether their own programs create visible growth and meaningful opportunities.

How employers can make staying an opportunity to grow

Make learning and career paths visible

Offer ongoing learning and upskilling rather than limiting development to initial onboarding. Explain what skills and experience may prepare someone for future roles, and discuss possible career paths with employees. A path need not promise a promotion; it should make potential next steps and the capabilities needed for them understandable.

TalentCulture recommends extending learning beyond orientation through phased learning, development plans, mentorship, peer support, cross-functional collaboration and flexible learning formats. These are proposed practices, not a guarantee of improved retention or performance.

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Create routes to internal mobility and varied work

Cross-department projects and new responsibilities can let employees build skills and contribute beyond a fixed role. Managers can look for appropriate assignments that broaden experience, and organizations can make internal opportunities easier to discover. Mobility can mean learning or contributing in a new area, not only moving into a higher-level job.

Ask for feedback—and show what happens next

Give employees ways to share perspectives on their work and development, then respond where appropriate. Listening without follow-through can make feedback feel performative; explain what can change, what cannot, and why. Useful conversations should connect employee aspirations with realistic development options.

Build supportive working relationships

Managers, mentors, coaches and colleagues can help employees navigate work, develop skills and identify opportunities. Forbes identifies supportive managers, workplace friendships, coaches and mentors as relevant parts of engagement and development. These relationships should complement, not substitute for, concrete learning and career opportunities.

How employees can seek growth while staying—or look elsewhere

People already employed can ask a manager about skills to develop, projects across teams, learning support, mentorship and possible internal paths. It may help to make the request specific: describe a skill or kind of responsibility to pursue, then ask what experience or milestones would make that realistic.

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For job seekers, the Center for Human Capital Innovation suggests networking and informational interviews, considering freelance or part-time projects, diversifying skills, pursuing certifications or courses, and including remote roles in a search. These are broad options, not guarantees of employment or promotion. The organization’s discussion of the Great Stay and job-market trends also points to development, transparent career paths, useful feedback and cross-functional work as topics employees can raise with employers.

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What the available data can—and can’t—tell you

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ state quits chart lists the total U.S. annual quits rate at 2.8% in 2022, 2.1% in 2024 and 2.0% in 2025; 2025 is the latest annual value displayed on the BLS chart. These are annual rates, not monthly readings, and the series does not identify why workers stayed or left.

The Federal Reserve’s 2024 report on economic well-being of U.S. households in 2023 found that financial well-being was nearly unchanged from 2022 and below its 2021 high; many adults continued to view higher prices as a challenge. That describes household financial context. It does not establish that financial pressure caused people to remain in a particular job.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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