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  • March 30, 2022
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

To Retain Employees, Support Their Passions Outside Work

By: Lauren C Howe, Jon M. Jachimowicz and Jochen I. Menges
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

With more and more people quitting, leaders need to find new ways to boost retention. One under-recognized way to keep employees on board is to give them the flexibility and resources they need to pursue their out-of-work passions. Drawing on their research, the authors offer practical strategies for creating “passion opportunities” so that you can attract and retain employees who want to pursue their passions outside of work. Beyond simply providing employees with flexibility, leaders need to make sure that employees feel comfortable actually using this flexibility. Given longstanding ideas about the “ideal worker,” or the notion prevalent in the U.S. that a good employee is one who dedicates their time and energy solely to work, embracing non-work passions requires igniting a mindset shift, including explicit endorsement from leaders.

Keywords

Passion; Employees; Retention; Interests; Work-Life Balance; Human Resources; Strategy

Citation

Howe, Lauren C., Jon M. Jachimowicz, and Jochen I. Menges. "To Retain Employees, Support Their Passions Outside Work." Harvard Business Review (website) (March 30, 2022).
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About The Author

Jon M. Jachimowicz

Organizational Behavior
→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • Kwame Owusu-Kesse at the Harlem Children's Zone 'Navigating Careers' By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Kwame Owusu-Kesse at the Harlem Children's Zone 'Going for It' By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Kwame Owusu-Kesse at the Harlem Children's Zone 'On the Decision' By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
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