How Do We Get People to Stay: Job Embeddedness Theory

How do you get people to want to be a part of the team and stay on the team?

A former HR person once told me, "People leave people [coaches, principals, and leaders] before they leave teams and jobs."

He was writing his dissertation on retention, and he was studying why people stay at certain jobs and how to get them to stay. His favorite thing to talk about was Job Embeddedness Theory.

The theory states there are three powerful forces that keep team members attached to their jobs and less likely to leave: Links, Fit, and Sacrifices.

• Links are the relationships and connections you build. One of my goals is to have the most connected team because it's harder to break away from and leave strong connections and relationships.
• Fit is how well someone fits in with the group, and how aligned their are to the values and goals of the team. It’s harder to leave something when you feel like you fit in well.
• Sacrifices are what they would be leaving if they left the team. It’s the value they get from being on the team. The more valuable you make the experience for the individual, the more likely they are to stay.

So ask yourself:

• How can I create stronger links or connections?
• How can I make sure the fit is right, tight, and aligned?
• What do they value most, and how can I provide more of that?
• What value do I naturally provide, and how can I give more of that?

Basically, why would people want to stay on my team? Be able to answer that, and work to provide more of it while building, growing, and developing them.