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If you’d like to understand better the motivations and experiences shaping your workforce, and take steps toward a more engaged, committed culture, we’d love to explore how Insync can help.
When staying isn’t a choice: The hidden cost of ‘reluctant stayers’
Job mobility (the proportion of people who changed jobs in the past year) in Australia has fallen for the second year in a row.
At first glance, that might look like good news for employers. Fewer people leaving means stronger retention, right? Not necessarily.
Beneath the surface, a growing number of employees are staying not out of loyalty or satisfaction, but because they feel they have to.
The increase of ‘reluctant stayers’
Insync’s data from 2023 and 2024 shows an increase in the proportion of people who intend to remain with their organisation ‘two years from now.’ But not all stayers are equal.
Some are fulfilled, motivated, and aligned with their organisations purpose. Others are reluctant stayers — employees who would like to move on but feel stuck due to a lack of suitable opportunities in the job market or broader economic uncertainty.
Focusing on this group is important, as those who want to leave but can’t are more likely to experience lower job satisfaction and to engage in negative work behaviours.
Why low turnover isn’t always good news
A lower turnover rate does not necessarily mean an organisation is doing well when it comes to employee retention. A statistic like turnover should be compared with factors such as job satisfaction, engagement and workplace absences to indicate what type of employees are at the organisation (whether they be reluctant or enthusiastic stayers).
Employers should be aware and sensitive to these particular frustrations and continue to measure where frustrations occur, whether that’s in job satisfaction, engagement or other areas.
Looking beyond the numbers
At Insync, we help organisations move beyond surface-level metrics like turnover to truly understand what drives their people and what holds them back. Through our tailored employee engagement and culture diagnostics, we uncover the underlying factors influencing satisfaction, motivation, and intent to stay.
Our insights help leaders distinguish between genuinely committed employees and those who feel stuck, enabling them to respond with targeted, meaningful action. We don’t just measure engagement; we help organisations make sense of it, translating data into strategies that build trust, improve wellbeing, and foster genuine connection.
By understanding the voices and experiences behind the numbers, Insync supports organisations to create environments where people stay because they want to, not because they have to.
Kevin Hwang
Manager
Kevin is an experienced consultant and project manager, having previously worked with a diverse range of independent schools in Australia and New Zealand for 5 years.
Kevin is passionate in working together with organisations to improve the experience of employees, by understanding and closing the gap between employee needs/expectations and the organisation’s inducements/offerings.
