HBR: Policies Aren’t Enough to Retain Top Talent. You Need Systems
January 20, 2026
What separates companies where talent stays from those where it doesn’t? It’s not their industry, size, or budget. It’s whether their talent practices work as a system. Isolated policies like higher pay, flexibility, or training programs rarely deliver lasting retention on their own. Instead, organizations that successfully retain talent align recruiting, onboarding, development, mobility, performance management, and compensation so each reinforces the others. When talent practices work as an integrated system, employees see clear pathways to grow, trust the organization to invest in them, and are far more likely to stay and build long-term careers.