According to Securex, voluntary employee turnover in Belgium dropped from 10.78% in 2024 to 9.61% in 2025. Yet retaining employees in a tight labour market remains a deliberate HR task: you need to know why people leave, not just how many employees leave.
Generic measures offer little grip when the causes differ from team to team. A lack of growth prospects asks for a different approach than too little recognition or a difficult relationship with the manager. Such signals often only surface once an employee is already thinking about leaving.
With employee surveys and workforce data you can investigate signals and possible causes together. That way you spot patterns and choose actions that match what employees experience. In this article you will read how to make reasons for leaving visible, keep measures concrete and measurable, and track whether they take effect at team level. That is how you build retention based on insight, not on assumption.
Key points
- First determine which retention question you want to answer, and gather targeted input from employees.
- Use segment analysis to compare experiences across groups without smoothing out their differences.
- Compare retention actions on cause, target group, owner and follow-up metric.
- Make retaining employees in a tight labour market concrete with one priority, an action owner and an evaluation moment.
- Combine employee surveys with workforce analytics to investigate risks and possible causes per team.
Table of contents
- Why retaining employees in a tight labour market takes more than filling vacancies
- Map why employees stay or leave
- Compare retention actions on cause, reach and measurability
- Turn retaining employees into a concrete follow-up plan
- Use workforce intelligence to tackle retention risks deliberately
Why retaining employees in a tight labour market takes more than filling vacancies
Retaining employees starts with insight into reasons for leaving, not with scattered interventions. When fresh inflow is scarce, holding on to existing knowledge weighs extra heavily. An experienced employee knows processes, customers and team agreements. A departure can therefore create extra work and put continuity or collaboration under pressure.
Retention means understanding and tackling the factors that make employees leave in a deliberate way. Simply counting turnover after the fact is not enough. A general figure shows what is happening but does not explain why. Combine workforce data with conversations and surveys. That way you can investigate signals and test possible causes. An overview of employee retention also describes retention as a combination of factors and approaches, not as one single measure.
A structured approach to absence and retention helps you connect turnover data with what employees themselves say. That way the focus shifts from filling vacancies to understanding what people need in order to stay.
Which signals point to a retention risk?
A rise in departures or absence, or declining engagement, can be reason to look further. None of those signals on its own proves that someone wants to leave. Compare teams and measurement moments. See whether changes coincide with, for example, a shifted workload, a new manager or less clarity about priorities. Use conversations and surveys to understand the context behind patterns.
Make your analysis concrete. Record which signal you are following, over what period and for which groups. A drop in engagement can have different causes. Ask employees how they experience their work and test possible explanations with the people who do the work day in, day out. That stops HR from treating a pattern as the explanation too quickly.
Why generic retention measures fall short
The same measure can be relevant for one group and change little for another. A pay adjustment can answer a conversation about terms and conditions, but does not automatically solve a lack of growth prospects or difficult collaboration. So do not start with the action that is easiest to launch. Start from the suspected cause and test it with employees first.
Use this short check before you pick a measure:
- Which concrete experience or recurring signal do you want to address?
- Which employees or teams experience this, and does that also show in their feedback?
- Which change connects directly to the cause?
- How will you notice that the situation is changing?
That is how you turn retaining employees in a tight labour market into a deliberate HR approach. You do not have to answer every signal with a new programme immediately. Understand first what is going on, then intervene deliberately. That makes it easier to choose fitting actions and later judge whether they make a difference.
Map why employees stay or leave
A workable retention analysis does not start with a long questionnaire, but with a sharp research question. Do you want to understand why employees in a particular team are leaving? Or do you want to find out which experiences contribute to their decision to stay? A clear focus helps you collect relevant data and prevents you from looking for an explanation for every data point afterwards.
Follow these steps:
- Define the question. Make clear which pattern you are investigating and which HR decision the outcome should support.
- Collect relevant input. Combine data on turnover and absence with targeted surveys or conversations about the work experience.
- Compare segments. Use segment analysis to compare groups that experience their work in a comparable way — for example by their role or team context.
- Test explanations. Discuss possible causes with employees and managers before drawing a conclusion or picking an action.
Investigate both what drives employees to leave and what motivates them to stay. A theme that plays a part in one team need not play a role elsewhere. Use external insights at most to sharpen your own research question. Always test possible explanations against the experiences and context inside your organisation.
Connect turnover data with what employees themselves say. That way the focus shifts from filling vacancies to understanding which experiences deserve attention. A careful analysis also makes clear where HR should ask further, instead of treating a pattern as an explanation straight away.
Combine signals with employee feedback
Turnover and absence data show where or when a pattern occurs. They do not automatically explain what sits behind it. So focus your survey on concrete experiences, such as workload, collaboration, say or prospects. Compare answers with workforce data and ask follow-up questions if signals do not line up. A risk signal points to a pattern to investigate. A proven cause asks for confirmation from the context and from employee feedback.
Look for differences between teams without labelling people
An average for the whole organisation can hide differences between teams. Compare groups with a shared work experience and see whether a pattern comes back at several moments. Do not draw hard conclusions from small groups: answers can become recognisable and may not give a reliable picture of the whole group. Record in advance how data are aggregated, who gets access and how results are discussed.
Anonymous answers can help employees speak openly, but do not promise absolute anonymity. Be transparent about what you collect, how you use answers and who sees the outcomes. Discuss insights at team level, not as a profile of an individual employee. That lets HR and managers discuss themes without labelling employees on the basis of a data pattern. Use findings to focus retention on recurring experiences, and discuss how you will follow up on the chosen approach.
Compare retention actions on cause, reach and measurability
A fitting retention action connects to what employees actually experience. So do not automatically go for an organisation-wide measure the moment a signal appears. First bring together the suspected cause, the group concerned and the team context. Then compare actions on their reach and on whether you can follow up on the effect.
Use the table as a starting point. The metrics are examples. Tune them to the question you are investigating and record up front how you will follow up on them.
| Action | Possible cause | Target group | Owner | Follow-up metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discuss terms and conditions | Perceived gap between contribution and terms | Employees who raise this signal | HR or reward | Recurring feedback on the terms discussed |
| Adjust the way work is organised | Unclear priorities or uneven task distribution | Team with recurring workload signals | Team lead | Feedback on task distribution and priorities |
| Strengthen manager support | Little alignment, feedback or clarity | The team concerned | Manager with HR support | Perceived clarity and quality of follow-up |
| Hold development conversations | Limited view of learning or progression | Employees who miss development opportunities | Manager | Learning goals discussed and next steps agreed |
When does which action fit?
Workload signals call for an investigation of task distribution, priorities and available support. If employees experience few development opportunities, discuss learning goals and possible internal progression. If signals about leadership keep returning, organise a team dialogue and record concrete agreements, such as aligning more often or discussing expectations more explicitly. Tie every action to the group that experiences the cause. A measure for one team is not automatically suitable for the whole organisation.
How do you keep an action from being a gamble?
Test the assumed cause with the employees concerned before you roll out a broad measure. Then choose an action with a clear owner, a workable execution and an agreed evaluation moment. Decide up front which change you expect. Combine feedback with workforce data where needed. That way you record not only whether the action has been carried out, but also whether the relevant experience is changing.
You can only judge a retention action by a metric you set up front. That keeps you from confusing activity with results. Insights from workforce intelligence can help you connect signals and possible causes when you weigh up retention actions. That gives retaining employees in a tight labour market a concrete approach: choose on the basis of the cause, assign responsibility and follow up on what is changing.
Turn retaining employees into a concrete follow-up plan
Insights only gain value when someone acts on them. So translate one established priority into a scoped action, an owner and an evaluation moment. That way HR, managers and employees know what is changing, why that choice was made and how you will follow up on progress.
Record the plan in one place. Note the trigger, the target group, the action owner and what you want to look at during the evaluation. An example: employees say that priorities shift frequently. The team lead discusses with the team how assignments are distributed, agrees what takes precedence and reports back when those agreements take effect. That turns a general concern into a visible change in the day-to-day running.
Turn insight into an action with an owner
Use an impact-effort matrix to order possible actions by expected impact and required effort. Do not only pick the action with the greatest expected impact. Also take into account the influence the team itself has, the available support and what is feasible within the current way of working. Appoint one owner who coordinates execution and flags questions or bottlenecks.
Make the agreement visible for the employees concerned. Tell them what is changing, who follows up on the action and where they can give feedback. Also indicate what is not changing for now. That clarity prevents employees from having to guess what has been done with their input.
Evaluate, learn and adjust
Before you start, record a baseline. Pick a metric that fits the cause, such as perceived clarity on priorities or feedback on development conversations. Agree when you will look at that metric again and how you will discuss the outcome with the team. A follow-up measurement shows what has changed, but does not on its own prove that one action caused that change. Name what you see and investigate together which factors may have played a role.
Discuss three points at the evaluation: has the action been carried out, do employees recognise the intended change, and what needs adjustment? That lets you continue, adjust or stop a workable approach. Record the outcome and use it to underpin the choices for the next evaluation.
Then give feedback. Summarise what employees have said, which step follows, and why certain proposals are not being carried out. Report results back at a suitable group level and do not share conclusions that make individual employees recognisable. Consistent follow-up turns retention into a learning process: measure, act, discuss and, where needed, adjust.
Use workforce intelligence to tackle retention risks deliberately
Retention asks for more than an overview of departing employees. elli combines employee surveys with workforce analytics to make retention risks and possible causes visible. That lets HR lay data and experiences alongside each other, investigate patterns and decide where a conversation or action is relevant.
Workforce intelligence translates workforce data into insights that help HR make underpinned choices. A signal from a team can, for example, be reason to look at feedback about the way work is organised and discuss it with the manager. The signal is a starting point for investigation — not a verdict on individual employees, and not a replacement for a conversation.
From workforce intelligence to targeted retention actions
Insights at organisation level help you spot recurring themes. At team level, HR can investigate differences in experiences and set priorities. At individual level, insights can give direction to a careful conversation without treating a data pattern as settled proof. Each level asks for its own application.
Use the outcome to pick a concrete next step. Record which team or theme takes priority, who follows up on the action and which metric you will revisit. A recurring measurement can show whether employees experience the situation differently than at the start. Discuss that change with the group concerned and investigate what the figures do not explain. Analytics supports the decision. Context and dialogue remain needed to pick the right action.
Keep building on measuring, acting and learning
A workable retention approach follows a recognisable cycle: collect signals, test possible causes, act deliberately and follow up. Employee surveys give room to experiences. Workforce analytics helps you connect workforce data with that input. Together they give HR a basis to set priorities and adjust actions when the context changes.
Make the measurement approach clear for employees. Explain which input you are collecting, how you use answers and who has access to the results. elli emphasises anonymity and GDPR compliance. Communicate carefully about anonymity, and do not create an expectation of absolute anonymity. Feedback is also part of the process: share what follows from the input, which step is taken and what is not changing for now. That way employees see how their feedback carries weight, without HR drawing more from the data than it supports.
That is how retaining employees in a tight labour market takes practical shape. Not every measurement leads to a new measure. A consistent cycle does help you underpin choices, track actions at team level and decide where more investigation is needed. The white paper on human-centred readiness goes further into the human side of organisational change.
Make retention a standing HR priority
A strong retention policy does not have to start with a big programme. Pick one recurring question that HR wants to investigate together with managers. Which work experience deserves attention? Which group calls for a more targeted conversation? And how do you make visible whether a chosen action matches what employees say?
That gives retaining employees in a tight labour market a standing place in your HR approach. Make room to discuss signals, involve employees and feed findings back. Be transparent about how you use data and about the limits of what you can conclude from it. elli works GDPR-compliant, pays attention to anonymity, is ISO 27001 certified and built in the EU.
Start with a concrete research question and make the next step clear for everyone involved. Small, trackable actions give HR and managers something to hold on to while they learn and keep building an organisation where employees see prospects.
Frequently asked questions
Can you retain employees without raising their pay?
A pay rise is not automatically the right response to every departure risk. Pay does not on its own explain unclear task distribution or little prospects. First look at which signals employees are giving and test them in conversations or a targeted survey. Then name the cause and pick a fitting step, such as clearer priorities, better alignment with the manager or a conversation about learning. With retaining employees in a tight labour market, the approach depends on what employees experience.
How do you know whether employee surveys are really anonymous?
Absolute anonymity is not something you can simply promise. Before the survey, explain in plain language which data you are collecting, who gets access and at what level you report results. Group answers carefully and avoid details that make someone recognisable, especially in small teams. Also make clear how feedback will be used and when employees will get feedback back. Transparency, careful data handling and GDPR compliance help lay a basis for trust.
How often should you collect employee feedback to follow retention?
There is no fixed rhythm that suits every organisation. Tune the frequency to the change you are following and to the time HR and managers have to respond to feedback. For example, plan an evaluation moment after an agreed way of working has been introduced. Compare the outcome with a relevant baseline and tell employees what happens with their input. Surveying more often has little value if follow-up is missing.
What do you do when employees do not respond to a survey?
Treat a low response as a signal to review your approach, not as proof of disinterest. Possible obstacles are an unclear purpose, little time or doubts about privacy. Shorten the invitation, clarify why you are asking for feedback and pick a moment that fits the work rhythm. Also share which adjustments followed from earlier feedback. Based on the response alone, do not draw conclusions about the experiences of a whole team.
How do you approach employee retention in a small team?
In a small team, feedback asks for extra attention to confidentiality. Discuss up front who will see the answers and how you will feed themes back. Where appropriate, combine individual conversations with a summary of recurring topics. Do not share examples or details that let colleagues link an answer to someone. Then pick a limited number of actions the team can discuss together, such as agreements about handovers or priorities, and make clear who follows up.
How do you recognise whether a retention action is delivering results?
Before you start, decide which signal you want to follow and when you will discuss progress. Look both at whether the action has been carried out and at relevant workforce indicators, such as feedback on the way of working the action targets. Compare outcomes with the baseline and ask employees how they experience the change. Take other events in the team into account. A difference between two measurement moments does not on its own prove that the action was the cause.