April, 2026
What we’ve learned about wellbeing at work
Wellbeing has become one of those words that many organizations use generously and define only vaguely.
It often appears in job ads, on values slides, and in leadership statements. And usually, the intention behind it is good. But if I’m honest, I think the term also risks becoming decorative. It can sound caring without requiring much change. It can signal the right attitude without forcing an organization to make difficult decisions about workload, leadership, structure, or responsibility.
That is exactly why I believe wellbeing needs to become operational.
Not perfect. Not fully controllable. But operational.
At our organization, we take wellbeing seriously. Not because we think we have solved it. We definitely haven’t. We have had wellbeing challenges in the past, and we will have them again in the future. We are a dynamic, ambitious, highly autonomous organization. That creates a lot of energy and opportunity, but it can also create pressure, ambiguity, and overload.
So for me, the question was never: how do we create a workplace without stress? That would be unrealistic.
The more useful question is: how do we build an organization that addresses wellbeing structurally, not just rhetorically?
What this tells me about working here
Let me be very clear about one thing: This is not a story of “how to retain everyone forever.” It’s a story about fit, growth, and conscious decisions – on both sides.
Our strong 1-year retention tells me that our hiring, onboarding, and role clarity work. People don’t join and immediately realize they made a mistake.
The more interesting phase happens later: between 12 and 24 monthssomething shifts. People move from being “new joiners” to established contributors. Expectations change. Questions about development, scope, leadership, and long-term alignment become real.
Some people decide: Yes, this is where I want to anchor myself. Others decide: I’ve learned a lot here, and now it’s time for something else. And honestly? That’s not a failure. That’s maturity.
Not every role (or every phase) is meant to last forever
One important insight from the analysis is that retention looks different across our organization – by design.
Core functions (e.g. Finance) show very high long-term retention. These roles anchor institutional knowledge, relationships, and continuity. More delivery-oriented units – across all our locations and initiatives – naturally show more movement. They are places to learn fast, try things out, and grow into the next step.
Expecting identical retention everywhere would actually be a misunderstanding of how we work. Stability and mobility are not opposites here. They coexist.
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