Why People Stay: The Power of Connection in the Workplace

I was crunching some numbers this morning, not about our finances but about our staff here at High 5. The numbers tell a story about what makes an organization successful.

More than half of our current staff have been with High 5 for an average of 14.6 years. The median tenure among these staff members is 12 years, and four have been here for more than 20 years. Over our 25-year history, these 13 people have contributed a remarkable 188 years of collective experience to High 5.

They represent people who have spent more than half of High 5’s 26-year history working, learning, struggling, laughing, changing, and growing together. They have helped shape the organization, and the organization has helped shape them. And their presence helps shape and orient our newer staff.

In the nonprofit sector, where retaining good people is a continuing challenge, that kind of longevity is unusual. 

I don’t believe people stay that long simply because of a job description. They stay because they feel connected—to the people they work with, to the work they do, and to something larger than themselves. In many ways, the longevity of our staff is one of the clearest examples of the very thing we have tried to teach for 26 years: connection comes first.