Your People Are Staying. But Are They Thriving?

Budgets are bigger. Salaries are climbing. And yes—employees are sticking around.

But here’s the truth: too many of them aren’t happy. We’ve all heard of Quiet Quitting and Quiet Cracking.

Pay may be keeping people in their seats. BUT is it fueling great work? Does it inspire loyalty?

Here’s what I’m seeing in mid-market companies right now:

• Pay is going up, but engagement isn’t.

• Candidates care more about “Who will I become here?” and less about “What’s the salary?”

• Managers are struggling to share stories about what makes their workplace compelling.

• Culture often just… happens—by default, not by design.

Disengaged employees don’t storm out the door—they stay. But they give less energy, less collaboration, less innovation. And that can be expensive.

So how do leaders move from people staying to people thriving?
Define your culture drivers. Not posters or slogans—real behaviors. How decisions get made. How feedback is shared. How wins are celebrated.

Help managers tell their story. HR can’t be in every interview or team meeting. But managers can. Partner with them to shape a simple culture story in their own words—so they can share it confidently with candidates and employees. If they can’t sell their story, people won’t believe it.

Make the first 90 days count. Onboarding shouldn’t focus on paperwork and systems. Use it to connect new hires with people who live your values, share real stories, and show how their work ties to your bigger purpose.

The upside? It’s just as real:
Engaged teams are 23% more profitable with 59% lower turnover (Gallup via TeamOut).

Action Tip: At your next team meeting, ask: “When did you feel most proud to work here?” Capture those moments. They’ll shape culture—and recruiting—more than any slide deck.

Beyond Orientation: Building an Onboarding Experience That Performs

A killer onboarding experience does more than make new hires feel welcome, it builds the foundation for performance, trust, and long-term retention.

Yet too often, onboarding is treated like a checklist, not a catalyst.

Here’s what we’re seeing across mid-market companies:

• New hires are overwhelmed, not oriented.

• Onboarding timelines are compressed.

• Managers are unclear on their role in onboarding.

• Early attrition is creeping up and costly.

• Culture is being “told” not “shown.

These aren’t just people's problems. They’re growth constraints in disguise. Your people strategy is only as strong as the systems it’s built into.

At Talent Growth Partners, we help build onboarding experiences that drive performance and connection from day one, not just “fill out your benefits form" day one.

The Interview Experience Is the New Differentiator

Last week, I asked: What matters most to candidates in the interview process? Here’s what you told me — and what the data confirms.

Top candidates are assessing your company as much as you’re assessing them. They’re paying attention to how your team shows up during the interview process, and a single misstep can cost you top-tier talent.

We’re seeing this firsthand across mid-market firms: the experience you design is becoming just as important as the role you’re offering.

In a tight talent market, the interview is the differentiator.

So what actually matters most to candidates right now?

No surprise: communication and preparation rise to the top. Candidates want clarity. They want to feel like their time is respected — and that your team is aligned.

What the data says:

• According to a 2023 Harvard Business Review article, a structured and transparent interview process improves candidate satisfaction by 38% — and it’s directly correlated with offer acceptance rates.

• LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends found that 83% of candidates say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they once liked.

• Glassdoor research shows that companies with a strong candidate experience improve quality-of-hire by up to 70%.

🛠️ What this means for hiring teams:

The interview isn’t just an evaluation. It’s a signal. A reflection of your culture. A preview of how you lead.

Ask yourself:

• Are your interviewers equipped to tell the story of your opportunity and answer tough questions?

• Are you making decisions and communicating them in a way that reflects urgency and respect?

• Are your people aligned in the message they send about your values?

• Are you building genuine connections in the conversation or just checking the boxes?

Client Snapshot

A mid-sized manufacturing client came to us after consistently losing strong candidates mid-process.

The problem?

Candidates were being interviewed on three separate occasions, and asked the same questions each time. Interviewers weren’t aligned, prepared, or building any meaningful connection.

We helped them:

• Build a clear interview structure with defined goals for each stage

• Create interview guides so each round covered new ground, not repeated questions.

• Train interviewers to engage confidently and build rapport, not just assess fit.

Result? Fewer drop-offs, stronger candidate feedback, and 2 top-choice hires in 60 days.