The Talent Equation: Why People Join, Stay & Leave

The First Answer is Never the Honest One

The first question we ask people is 'What do you enjoy about your job?' This usually will lead people to tell us what they like about the job but more importantly what they don't enjoy about their job. 'I like this but...' and once we get to the but we start to understand a little bit more about their internal motivators.

What someone tells you is the root cause like compensation then rarely is. It's all about what that person values at that point in time. And what they value now isn't necessarily what they valued before.

"It's like you pick a stitch and then everything unravels"

Why Your Strongest Candidate Might be the Weakest

When we ask candidates why they're considering a move, the usual combination comes up: pay, bonus, flexibility. Valid reasons to have the conversation. But they never tip the scales. What actually gets someone to jump out of their comfort zone is something more specific a real platform for success. That's made up of leadership, brand, team, culture and a genuine path forward.

At senior levels, technical capability isn't the differentiator. Most candidates can do the job. What determines success is whether they can influence and collaborate inside an existing system.

"You can have the brightest person possible… and if they can't work in a team, they are worse than useless."

Often the smartest person in the room is also the most unproductive, hyper-focused on the wrong things and unable to bring others with them. Many hiring processes still prioritize brilliance over integration. Impact depends on how quickly someone builds credibility with the people around them, not on how impressive their CV looks.

Launching an Employee is Almost as Important as Hiring the Employee

Press release ready. LinkedIn updated. Company-wide email sent. Then what? Something we see time and again is the cost of forgetting to launch internally. Most organizations treat onboarding as admin. In reality, how a new hire is introduced often determines whether they succeed or stall.

A common mistake is positioning a new hire as the person who will "fix everything." Internally, this creates resistance straight away. You've set them up on a false pedestal before they've started. Expectations rise unrealistically, and the new hire is already on the back foot.

The Exit Starts Long Before the Resignation

Personal progression in our opinion is a main reason why people leave. You plateau, because you only know what you know. And that plateau is usually the trigger point. Not the resignation letter. Not the counter-offer. The plateau. That's when the recruiter's message gets a reply or that person decides to send out their CV.

What someone values now isn't what they valued five years ago. People will walk away from commission, projects, everything they've built, for something uncertain, if it matters more to them right now. The offer that attracted someone two years ago may not be the reason they stay today.

This summary only scratches the surface. For the full data, underlying patterns, and practical detail, read the complete Global Life Sciences 2026 Workforce Outlook.