Since creating Fluid in 2006, retention has always been the area where we have been most active. In my days of salaried employment I always took a keen interest in why people stayed and what circumstances led to their resignation. Prior to the recession we completed a number of projects for white collar professions where the need for specific qualifications ensured that high

performers were in short supply. Some of these clients were linked directly or indirectly to the property sector and now take a somewhat cavalier attitude to staff turnover, believing that a surplus of top-notch employees is now available. In addition we worked closely with organisations based in less than attractive geographic locations or established in industries where skills shortages exist.

In the post-downturn period most of our retention work has been with sectors that predominantly offer the National Minimum Wage and therefore lose valued workers to industries paying better salaries, and employers that have undertaken redundancies or restructuring but need to consider the impact of ‘survivor syndrome’ on the people left behind.