3 Secrets to Better Staff Retention that Most Leaders Overlook
The call came in at 7:03 a.m.
“Hey, just a heads up—I won’t be in today. I think I have strep. Or maybe COVID again. Either way, I can’t cover Jen’s shift.”
That would’ve been fine. Except the other two staff scheduled that morning had also called out.
And now the program manager was sprinting across the parking lot—half-caffeinated, half-dressed, fully stressed—just to keep the place open.
Sound familiar?
If you're a leader in human services, you've lived some version of this day.
And the worst part? It starts to feel normal.
But here's the deal: It’s not normal. It’s a warning.
And if we don't start treating turnover like the five-alarm fire it is, a lot of good programs—maybe even yours—are going to burn out.
Let’s talk about the three things every IDD Provider needs to do right now if they want to survive and serve with excellence.
Secret #1: Own the Problem
You know what’s not a strategy? Blaming Indeed.
Or “kids these days.”
Or that one staff who left last month and “turned everyone else against us.”
Turnover doesn’t happen to you. It’s something you are either actively managing… or passively tolerating.
And tolerating it is expensive.
Here’s a fun math problem:
If it costs you $5,000 to replace one frontline employee, and you lose 40 a year, how much are you losing?
Answer: $200,000. That’s a grant. That’s a new vehicle. That’s three extra positions you can’t afford because you’re too busy plugging holes.
So what does taking ownership look like?
Start collecting real exit data (not just “personal reasons”).
Talk to providers with high retention. Ask them what’s working.
Stop waiting for the state or the economy to fix it. They’re not coming.
Taking ownership doesn’t mean you have all the answers. It just means you’re committed to finding them (And guess what? There are plenty of agencies that have gone before you… and are sharing the answers they found.)
Secret #2: Build the Experience You’d Want to Work In
Imagine you took your five best employees out for coffee and asked them, “What do you love most about working here?”
Now imagine you asked them what drives them nuts.
If you’re like most leaders, you’ll discover something both encouraging and slightly terrifying:
People will stay in hard jobs… if they enjoy who they work with, feel supported by their supervisor, and don’t feel like every day is a logistical dumpster fire.
But if you strip out the good stuff—and then add in some chaos, mixed signals, or subtle disrespect? You’re gonna lose people.
Fast.
You don’t need a full-blown engagement survey to make progress. You need to:
Do more of what people actually like.
Do less of what drives them out the door.
Talk about it openly, and let people help you shape the culture.
Pro tip: People love being asked what works and what doesn’t. It shows you care. And it gives you clues about what makes your workplace sticky—or slippery.
Secret #3: Don’t Just Promote Supervisors—Develop Them
Let’s play a quick game of “Which one matters more?”
A great DSP?
A great supervisor?
Trick question. Because the supervisor determines whether that great DSP stays.
It’s wild how many organizations still promote frontline workers into supervisor roles with a quick “Congrats!” and a binder of HR policies.
No coaching. No training. No feedback. Just vibes and good intentions.
But people management is a skill. And most new supervisors? They’re drowning.
So what happens?
The good staff leave because their supervisor’s overwhelmed. The mediocre staff stay because there’s no accountability. And the supervisor gets blamed for not “stepping up,” even though no one taught them how.
Want to fix retention? Start here:
Train supervisors in how to lead people, not just manage tasks.
Give them space to practice (and mess up).
Reward progress. Celebrate small wins. And keep investing.
Because when you get this right, your whole culture shifts.
People feel seen. Team tension goes down. Retention climbs.
Magic? No. But it might feel like it.
Choose One. Go Deep.
If this feels overwhelming, don’t worry. You don’t have to do everything at once.
Pick one of the secrets above and go all-in for the next 30 days:
Interview three staff who’ve stayed. Learn why.
Make two improvements to the employee experience.
Send one supervisor to a training that focuses on leadership, not just compliance.
The results won’t be immediate. But they will come.
Because turnover isn’t just a staffing problem. It’s a leadership opportunity.
And the programs that act now? They’re going to be the ones still standing.
Want a jumpstart on building better supervisors?
Check out my free Playbook on 4 Supervisor Habits that Reduce DSP Turnover Fast.
