High employee turnover drains productivity, increases costs and damages culture.
The good news? Retention isn’t just about pay or perks It’s about building a workplace where people feel valued, trusted, and connected to purpose.
Here are three proven strategies to strengthen culture and keep your best people.
- Build a Culture of Recognition
Most companies rely on tenure-based recognition, rewarding employees for years of service. While well-intentioned, it often misses the mark. About 87% of recognition programs are tenure-based, yet employees crave recognition for contributions, not just time served.
To make recognition impactful:
Make it frequent and timely. Recognise contributions in the moment, when it matters most.
Be specific. Tell employees exactly what they did and why it mattered.
Make it visible. Public recognition multiplies impact across the team.
Link it to culture and goals. Show how contributions drive the organisation forward.
👉 With online platforms such as Brownie Points, recognition becomes instant, visible, and values driven. It makes it easy for leaders and peers to highlight meaningful contributions, embedding recognition into everyday culture.
- Embrace Transparency to Build Trust
Nothing erodes retention faster than a lack of trust. When employees feel excluded from information, they disengage. The fix? Default to transparency.
Shift the mindset from:
❌ “Is it necessary to share this?”
✅ “Is it necessary to keep this from the team?”
Practical ways to build trust through transparency:
Share the why, not just the what.
Be upfront about challenges as employees respect honesty over spin.
Provide visibility into goals and progress.
👉 Online recognition programs support transparency by making recognition and achievements visible across the organisation. Employees see how peers are contributing and how it all ties back to company goals.
- Connect Contributions to Purpose
Salaries and wages keep people showing up, but purpose keeps them engaged and loyal. Employees want to know their work matters.
Ways to connect contributions to purpose:
Show the bigger picture. Continuously explain how individual work links to strategic goals.
Highlight impact. Use recognition, stories, and metrics to demonstrate results.
Celebrate together. Shared wins build unity and pride.
👉Recognition can be tied directly to company values and goals. This ensures employees don’t just feel thanked, so they feel part of a bigger mission.
Final Thought
Retention isn’t fixed with perks or tenure awards. It’s achieved by building a culture where people are recognised, trusted, and inspired by purpose.
By embedding these principles and leveraging platforms like Brownie Points organisations can reduce turnover, strengthen culture, and create workplaces where top talent chooses to stay.
Tony Delaney, CEO Brownie Points
