Retention levers differ by city tier
Copying a Bengaluru retention plan into a tier-2 site (or the reverse) wastes money.
Tier-1 pattern
- Poaching is constant for scarce skills
- Counteroffers are common and often late
- Brand, mission, and global exposure matter beside cash
- Managers who develop people beat managers who only escalate
Tier-2 pattern
- Fewer competing logos can help stability
- Stagnation risk is higher if work is narrow
- Leadership depth is thinner; losing one manager hurts more
- Learning pathways and occasional hub rotations matter a lot
30 / 60 / 90
- 30: Separate retention risks by site.
- 60: Site-specific levers funded (not one national program).
- 90: Review regrettable attrition with managers, role by role.
Takeaway
Retention is local.
Design for the labor market you actually hired into.