Employee Magnetism vs Retention

Sam Altman is quickly becoming one of my favorite bloggers. Today he put up a great post about employee retention.

With our focus on hiring this year and attention to culture and processes, employee retention is something that has occupied my mind frequently. For instance, I’ve shared thoughts on keeping people, thoughts on detecting wedge issues before they get bad, and thoughts on inbound poaching.

I don’t really like the word “retention” in this context. Retention is usually associated with a retaining wall or barrier that prevents something from escaping. That’s not a good descriptor.

Employee Magnetism might be better phrase. The goal is to create an environment and employment structure that is magnetic – something that adapts to individuals over time as they grow into their roles.

Culture, vision, incentives, challenges, work-life balance, growth, and other aspects are integral to creating strong employee magnetism. There’s no magic formula and every different business needs to fill its positions with the right profile individual for its culture and market.

What are your thoughts on employee magnetism vs retention?