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retention

ri-TEN-shuhn /rɪˈten.ʃən/

nounC1GREIELTSTOEFL

professionalacademic

The ability of an organization to keep and maintain its employees over a period of time.

Focuses on corporate strategies aimed at preventing valuable staff members from resigning.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'retinentia', derived from 'retinere' (to hold back or detain). It migrated into Middle English legal contexts and entered organizational management vocabulary in the mid-20th century.

Word relationships

preservation: Preservation refers to keeping physical items or states unchanged, while retention focuses on keeping human talent.
maintenance: Maintenance is routine upkeep, whereas retention involves proactive engagement and incentive design.

attrition: The gradual reduction of workforce size through departures and resignations.
turnover: The rate at which employees leave a workforce and are replaced.

Commonly confused with

recruitment: Recruitment is attracting and hiring new employees; retention is keeping current employees engaged long-term.

Word family

retain (verb): To keep possession of or continue to employ.
retentive (adjective): Having the ability to remember or hold things.

Collocations

employee retention
retention rate
retention strategy
talent retention

Idioms & expressions

keep talent in-house

Example sentences

"Offering flexible remote options and competitive benefits proved to be essential for employee retention in the software industry." Corporate Strategy
"Employee retention is a major challenge, especially when skilled labor is scarce and competitor poaching is rampant." Executive Governance

Memory hook

RETAIN + TENSION = Holding on tight so talent doesn't slip away. Keeping workers from leaving.

When not to use

Do not use when discussing initial hiring or recruitment phases.

Fun facts

High employee turnover costs companies on average 1.5 to 2 times the departing worker's annual salary in replacement expenses.