If Your Culture Is ‘Great’ But People Are Leaving - Here’s What’s Missing

When a charity hired me, they were in crisis. One by one, their best people were leaving. Not just a couple, but a wave of resignations.

High performers. Senior leaders. The kind of exits that shake an organisation to its core. They were confused. They had done everything "right" to create a great place to work.

✔️ Monthly pizza get-togethers.

✔️ A ‘Pawternity’ policy for staff with new pets.

✔️ Townhalls filled with inspiring speeches about their mission.

And yet, their best people kept walking.

They didn’t get it. People loved the mission. The work was meaningful.

The culture was great.

So why were people leaving?

The Real Reason They Lost Top Talent

When I started digging, the reasons were painfully clear:

→ People loved the work, but they couldn’t see a future in the organisation. They wanted development. Promotions. A clear path forward. Instead, they got pizza.

→ People gave everything to the cause, but their effort wasn’t reflected in their pay. They were passionate, but passion alone doesn’t move the needle.

→ Leaders waited until exit interviews to address problems. By the time leadership realised retention was an issue? They had already lost the very people who could have helped turn things around.

What This Taught Me About Retention

Perks don’t keep people → purpose, progress, and pay do.

If you’re not actively giving people a reason to stay, they’re already planning their exit.

What actually works:

✔️ Growth plans that align with business goals. Because people don’t just want a job → they want a future.

✔️ Pay that reflects impact. Because appreciation isn’t pizza → investment is. 

✔️ Proactive engagement, not last-minute fixes. Because waiting until exit interviews means you’re already losing.

The charity eventually made changes, but not before losing talent they couldn’t afford to lose.

Retention Problems Always Show Up Too Late

By the time you realise retention is an issue, the damage is already done.

Budgets take a hit. Replacing an employee costs up to 150% of their salary.

Operations slow down. Lost momentum weakens team morale and trust.

You lose your competitive edge. Top talent won’t stick around if they can’t see a future. And investors, B Corp, ISO auditors notice. They don’t back unstable teams with high churn.

If your culture is great but your best people are leaving, it’s not a culture problem; it’s a retention problem.

What’s Your Next Move?

If you’re doing ‘all the right things’ but still losing great people, it’s time for a real retention strategy.

The longer you wait, the more talent and momentum you lose.

Let’s talk. At Modern Mind Group, we help leaders create scalable retention strategies that actually work.

Book a call today, and let’s turn retention into your competitive advantage.

Written By Dannique Blake, Independent People & Performance Consultant

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The Modern Mind Group offers outsourced people (HR) and performance services. Taking a modern approach to business is the answer to increased profits, highly engaged teams and record breaking results. The Modern Mind Group use their own Emotioneering® Business Formula as a framework alongside the Emotioneering® Blueprint Scorecard to measure success with each business that they work with. Offering a personal and unique service. Competent, reliable and approachable consultants. Contact us for a free consultation today!