This edition is brought to you by Athyna

Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Saturday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring the stories, ideas, and frameworks of the world’s most prolific people and companies—and how you can apply them to build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself. 

Today we’ve got a guest post from Bill Kerr the founder and CEO of Athyna, and author of Open Source CEO. I am a proud partner of Athyna after seeing first-hand their ability to source a diverse set of roles quickly.

They hire the best sales, marketing, product and engineering talent, all at up to 80% less than hiring locally. Incredible talent, matched with AI-precision, at lightning speed.

Today, Bill shares a sharp guide on retaining top talent in a hyper-competitive market. With nearly half the workforce eyeing a move, keeping great people has never mattered more. Here's how leading companies do it—and how you can too.

Cheers,
Alex

P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. We want to be worthy of your time. I respond to every email.

How to Retain Your Best Talent in an Ultra-Competitive Market

Talent retention is no longer just HR’s concern—it’s every leader’s competitive advantage. With 41% of employees globally thinking of jumping ship in 2024, the battle for top talent is fierce. And since replacing an employee can cost up to twice their annual salary, keeping your best people isn't just smart, it's essential.

Here’s how the world’s leading companies tackle this challenge, and how you can too:

1. Flexibility Is Now a Requirement, Not a Reward

Remote work has changed everything. Companies offering flexible work arrangements see about 25% lower turnover. Airbnb's flexible policy led to a 35% increase in job applications, and Spotify's "Work from Anywhere" model significantly reduced employee churn.

Quick action: Give your teams genuine autonomy—remote options, compressed workweeks, and flexible schedules are no longer perks; they're expected.

2. Growth Opportunities Keep People Committed

94% of employees would stay longer at a company that invests in their career development. Google's "20% Time" policy (where employees pursue passion projects) led to Gmail. Microsoft prioritizes internal mobility, enabling career shifts without leaving the company.

Beamery.

Quick action: Establish mentorship programs, allow internal role shifts, and offer dedicated time for innovation.

3. Purpose Beats Paychecks (But Both Are Crucial)

Today, 75% of younger employees would take a pay cut for meaningful work. Patagonia retains talent by offering paid time off for environmental activism—aligning work with values.

Patagonia employees and ambassadors attended the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C.

Quick action: Communicate your company’s mission and offer opportunities that connect employees' roles directly to meaningful outcomes.

4. Mental Health and Wellness Aren't Optional

Burnout is at an all-time high, directly affecting retention. Cisco expanded mental health benefits and saw higher job satisfaction. Dropbox embraced asynchronous work schedules, dramatically improving work-life balance.

Reward Gateway

Quick action: Introduce mental health benefits, and employee feedback surveys, and genuinely encourage work-life balance.

5. Recognize to Retain

Employees who feel appreciated stay longer and perform better. Companies with peer recognition programs experience 31% lower turnover.

Reward Gateway

Quick action: Regularly celebrate employee wins publicly, build peer-to-peer recognition systems, and foster an authentic culture of appreciation.

6. Foster Transparency and Open Communication

Companies that encourage candid, regular feedback keep talent. Employees leave when they feel disconnected or unheard.

HR Vision Content Hub.

Quick action: Implement transparent, frequent communication channels and actively seek feedback, acting quickly on employee input.

Retention Isn’t Just Strategy—It's Your Competitive Edge

Companies that excel in retention are proactive, empathetic, and human-centric. Offer flexibility, genuine growth, meaningful work, mental wellness, and consistent recognition to build a thriving team that moves your business faster than ever.

Final Thoughts: Act Now to Keep Your Top Talent

Hiring great talent is only the beginning. The real challenge—and opportunity—is in keeping them. Top companies aren’t just winning by offering higher salaries; they're creating environments where people genuinely want to stay.

Take a close look at your current retention strategies. What's effective? What needs improvement? Even small shifts can significantly boost engagement, productivity, and your company's long-term success.

At Athyna, we specialize in helping businesses build and retain outstanding remote teams. Discover how we can strengthen your retention strategy today.

That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.

Have a wonderful rest of week, all.

Recommendation Zone

⎯

Hire remote employees with confidence

Two years ago, I hired an offshore assistant for the first time. Since then, I’ve recommended many people do the same. It’s been one of the highest leverage things I’ve done, helping with everything marketing and customer support (for The Intelligence Age) and personal matters and email management.

Athyna is a service that quickly (<5 days!) finds remote employees across 150+ countries for you or your team. They cover roles from sales and marketing to creative and product, and have worked with companies like Facebook, Zoom, Uber, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Amazon.

I’ve personally used Athyna and recommended them to my Brother, Will, who runs a fashion label, and several close friends running their own businesses. To date, they’ve all had very positive experiences.

If you’re in the market for talent, visit their website to explore options and cover all your hiring needs.

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Alex Brogan

Find me on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

Offshore Talent: Where to find the best offshore talent. Powered by Athyna.

Why Faster Than Normal? Our mission is to be a friend to the ambitious, a mentor to the becoming, and a partner to the bold. We achieve this by sharing the stories, ideas, and frameworks of the world's most prolific people and companies—and how you can apply them to build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself.

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