How to Improve Employee Work Ethic and Retention

What if we allowed every single employee into the “boardroom”? That’s what we do at 1440.  Every Monday, our entire company joins our weekly strategy call. Not just the C-suite or senior leaders—every single member of our team. ↳Here’s our playbook: 1. Icebreakers to set the tone and foster connection. 2. Review all ongoing initiatives across 1440 (literally every initiative the company is working on). 3. Each team provides a brief update on metrics, progress, wins, and roadblocks. 4. Open the floor for questions—nothing is off limits; we actively encourage input from all levels. ↳Our goal? To build a team so in sync that we’d trust any team member to field a board director’s call about 1440’s metrics and long-term vision. Why do we do this? ↳My decade in private equity taught me firsthand how transparency and access transform companies. Those that didn’t embrace open cultures of idea-sharing and collaboration often struggled with siloed (and confused) teams full of disengaged employees, which ultimately led to reduced workplace happiness and lower profits. ↳When everyone deeply understands the business and feels valued as a contributor, they develop a genuine sense of ownership and investment in its success. ↳Work also becomes more meaningful as everyone has a front-row seat to the overall company strategy, leading to retention rates most companies only dream of: 1440 boasts a ~95% employee retention rate. How do you bring your employees into the "boardroom?" If not, what's holding you back?

Employees don’t leave for more money. They leave because they feel unseen. 👇 Key Insight People crave meaning, not just a paycheck. Retention is rooted in recognition. Employees want to feel like they matter. A quick story: An employee once told me: "I don’t need a raise — I need to know that my boss sees what I do." The Breakdown ❌ Ignored contributions ↳ Silence says: "You're replaceable." ❌ One-way communication ↳ Without feedback, belonging never takes root. ❌ Surface-level check-ins ↳ "How are you?" isn’t enough. ❌ Inconsistent recognition ↳ Praise shouldn’t be random or rare. ✅ Celebrate impact ↳ Recognize outcomes, not just effort. ✅ Create safe dialogue ↳ Invite honest conversations regularly. ✅ Go beyond titles ↳ Acknowledge personal growth and potential. ✅ Normalize gratitude ↳ Make appreciation part of daily culture. Closing Takeaway Retention isn’t complicated. Make people feel seen, heard, and valued. That’s the real currency of loyalty. ❓ How does your company make employees feel truly valued? ♻️ If you believe people deserve to feel valued at work, share this. 👋 Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don't miss the next post.

Cirsium Biosciences is nearly 6 years old.  Only one person has ever left the company.  Looking back, 7 key pillars led to this outcome:   1. Choosing the Right Co-Founder You'll be spending a LOT of time with that person.  If you can't get along, that conflict will damage everyone else. Make sure you're in lockstep on vision and values and have complementary skill sets.   2. Aligning with Supportive Investors                                                                        Don't get blinded by dollar signs. It's hard.  Your investors need to understand what you do. They need to back the company without pressure to make  poor strategic decisions that are not driven by the science and data. Be willing to walk away.  Trust your gut.    3. Culture and Talent Yes, talent and skills are very important. But culture fit is just as essential.  New hires won't just be bringing a skill set -  They need to be able to work well with the rest of the team, so involve team members in the hiring process. Identifying those types of people greatly increases the speed at which the company can move.    4. Rewarding Employee Effort This is a point of great frustration for me.  If any employee does great work - above and beyond – support and compensate them.  They shouldn't have to advocate for themselves on that.  You want those kinds of people to stick around.  Which leads to the next pillar...   5. Retention by Valuation This goes beyond compensation or position. Make sure you communicate employees value to you and the company clearly.  Valued people stay.  When a period of intense work is needed? Valued people are more willing to go the extra mile.    6. Reduce Hierarchy and Increase Transparency Executives can't be in an ivory tower.  They shouldn't get special, kid-glove treatment.  As much as you can, keep everyone up to speed on where the company is going.    7. Open Door Policy Discovered a problem? Have an idea on how to improve a process? I want to hear about it.  Doesn't matter if you're an intern or the co-founder.  My door is open.    So remember: Surround yourself with good people.  And do your best to keep them there.    Anything else you'd add? Provide it in the comments.

If your one-on-ones are primarily status updates, you're missing a massive opportunity to build trust, develop talent, and drive real results. After working with countless leadership teams across industries, I've found that the most effective managers approach 1:1s with a fundamentally different mindset... They see these meetings as investments in people, not project tracking sessions. Great 1:1s focus on these three elements: 1. Support: Create space for authentic conversations about challenges, both professional and personal. When people feel safe discussing real obstacles, you can actually help remove them. Questions to try: "What's currently making your job harder than it needs to be?" "Where could you use more support from me?" 2. Growth: Use 1:1s to understand aspirations and build development paths. People who see a future with your team invest more deeply in the present. Questions to explore: "What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?" "What parts of your role energize you most?" 3. Alignment: Help team members connect their daily work to larger purpose and meaning. People work harder when they understand the "why" behind tasks. Questions that create alignment: "How clear is the connection between your work and our team's priorities?" "What part of our mission resonates most with you personally?" By focusing less on immediate work outputs and more on the human doing the work, you'll actually see better performance, retention, and results. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #leadershipdevelopment #teammanagement

I once lost my best team members to a "better opportunity." Turns out, the "better opportunity" was just a healthier work environment. It was a hard lesson. According to a recent study, a toxic workplace environment significantly impacts employee engagement. Key findings: • It reduces individual worker productivity • It leads to health issues like anxiety and burnout • It strengthens employees' intention to leave But here's the good news: We can turn this around. In my experience leading clinical research teams, I've found these strategies effective: 1. Communicate openly about challenges 2. Provide support for employee wellbeing 3. Recognize and reward positive contributions 4. Address conflicts fairly and promptly Remember: A positive work culture isn't just nice to have. It's essential for innovation, productivity, and retention. Leaders, our actions shape our team's environment every day. What's one thing you're doing to create a more positive workplace? #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture

Once an employee has handed in their notice... 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲. I often get asked: What keeps a team together in the long run? After years of leading and mentoring teams, I’ve realized a few constants that drive loyalty and engagement. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 9 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: [1] Respect over authority. Nobody thrives under a toxic boss. [2] Transparent growth paths. Employees need to see a future. [3] Compensation that matches contributions—no empty promises. [4] Genuine work-life harmony. Not just a buzzword. [5] Recognition and value. People are more than just numbers. [6] Opportunities for challenge and learning. Growth isn’t optional. [7] Clear communication. Clarity avoids chaos. [8] A culture of accountability—without micromanaging. [9] Opportunities that align with personal goals. ↬ Retention isn’t just about keeping seats filled. It’s about keeping momentum alive. Your best people? They’re ambitious and will eventually move on. But while they’re with you? ⇢ Reward them for their contributions. ⇢ Challenge them with meaningful opportunities. ⇢ Listen to their needs. It’s simple but often overlooked: People leave managers, not companies. Retention begins with leadership, not HR policies. Did I miss anything on the list? Drop your thoughts in the comments ⬇️ P. S- The photo is from the days when we were first building our local team. ♻️Repost this and be the first to share these insights with your network. Stay tuned for more!