💥 How to Stop Losing Great Employees (Without Raising Wages)

Apr 2

There’s this line I’ve been hearing a lot lately:

“We’re paying more than ever… and people are still leaving.”

Sound familiar?

It’s coming from founders, operators, site managers — smart people who are doing the right thing on paper. They’ve increased wages. Added bonuses. Sweetened the perks.

But here’s the thing: money isn’t the whole story.

For Episode 4 of Unlocked Potential, I sat down with Tom Leung — former product leader at Google and YouTube, founder, and host of Fireside PM — to talk about what actually drives retention when budgets are tight, expectations are high, and you're trying to build a team that lasts.

Tom’s seen it all — Big Tech, bootstrapped startups, and everything in between. And what we talked about hit home, especially for leaders trying to do more with less.

It’s Not Just About the Paycheck

Of course money matters. But people don’t usually leave just for a slightly bigger paycheck.

What makes them walk is when they feel overlooked. Stuck. Unheard.
Or when no one’s noticing that they’ve quietly disengaged.

Tom put it simply:

“The real motivation comes from feeling trusted, supported, and challenged — not just compensated.”

Raises are good. But if the culture underneath is broken, you’re just buying time.

Feedback Matters More Than Free Lunch

A big part of this comes down to leadership. Not the motivational poster kind — the day-to-day kind.

Tom talked about how most teams live on a spectrum: too soft and you get chaos; too harsh and you get fear. The best leaders? They find the middle.
They care enough to coach. And they’re consistent.

One of my favorite lines from the episode:

“It’s 65% Pete Carroll, 35% Belichick.”

We both laughed — but it’s true. You need optimism and standards. Energy and structure.

Don’t Forget the Middle

This part really stuck with me.

We always focus on the top performers and the strugglers. But what about everyone else?

Tom called it “the danger zone” — the folks in the middle who aren’t causing problems, but aren’t lighting it up either. They’re showing up, doing okay… until one day they’re gone.

“Everyone has something they’re great at. It’s your job to find it.”

If you’re not having real conversations with these people, you’re missing chances to unlock their potential — and maybe even save them from quitting.

Spotting Disengagement Before It’s Too Late

Tom shared a great reminder: not all disengagement looks dramatic.

Sometimes it’s subtle — quieter meetings, slower responses, fewer questions. And if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss the signs.

That’s why consistent 1:1s matter. Not just task check-ins, but real ones:
How are you? What’s working? What’s off? What’s next?

“Leadership is about pattern recognition. But you have to be looking.”

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything you can to retain good people — and still losing them — this episode is worth your time.

It’s a great reminder that people don’t just want higher pay. They want to grow. They want to be seen. They want to matter.

None of that has to cost more.
But it does take leadership.

Want the Full Conversation?

Check out the full episode of Unlocked Potential on YouTube — or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

▶️ Watch on YouTube
🎙️ Listen on Spotify
🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts

Want to build stronger, high-retention teams — especially in frontline industries?
Tanda helps you do it with smart scheduling, real-time insights, and tools that make leaders better every day.
👉 www.tanda.io