This week, Traci sits down with Greg Roche, founder of Retention and Rewards Partners and author of The Fast and Easy Guide to Networking for Introverts, to explore why intentional connection is the most underrated retention strategy in any organization.
Greg shares the "stepping over the line" framework he's used throughout his career in total rewards, walking through the exact moment an employee mentally checks out, why most organizations are trying to solve engagement from the top down when the real work happens between individuals, and what leaders can do right now to build the kind of trust that makes people genuinely want to stay.
What We Cover:
– The "stepping over the line" moment – what's actually happening in an employee's mind right before they quit
– Why proximity created connection before 2020 and what we lost when it disappeared
– Top-down engagement strategies vs. small intentional acts and why one actually works
– The 15-minute calendar invite that could change how you're perceived in your organization
– What happens in the brain when someone talks about themselves (and how to use it)
– Why new leaders who skip relationship-building create stranger danger for the whole team
– The one-question approach for building upward relationships without being awkward
– How connection directly impacts talent reviews, succession planning, and career visibility
– The Relationship First Playbook – five ways HR leaders can make connection a cultural value
FREE GIFT: Download Greg's Relationship First Playbook for HR leaders at retentionandrewards.com/gift – five intentional practices you can put into place with your team today.
Connect with Greg Roche: Retentionandrewards.com | LinkedIn
Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci
Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.
Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.