Beyond the Bonus: Kickstart Retention on a Shoestring Budget
Looking for ways to compensate and reward your employees but you’re running a tight budget?
I recently read the interview with Kickstarter’s CEO Everette Taylor on the growth he’s helped oversee and the implementation of Kickstarter’s remote work and 4-day workweek culture. It got me thinking about some research I’ve read about the emerging trend of 4-day workweeks, and the fall of remote work’s prevalence in many workplaces.
I know you’re probably thinking “great, another article about remote work or reducing hours.” Well, not exactly.
What catches my eye about success stories like these is leaders looking for ways to support, engage, and reward their employees in ways beyond typical compensation. And, how that translates to employee, and ultimately business, performance.
In Kickstarter’s case (full disclosure, my information is coming only from this article), the drive seemed to come from the fact that, post-pandemic, some of their most valued employees were not living local to their headquarters. Taylor essentially made the decision as a perk to his best employees, and raised the performance bar for the rest of his organization.
When thinking about compensating or rewarding employees, many companies still look at things strictly in a financial sense. The truth is, most employees, once making enough to cover their primary expenses and have a little money left over, find great value in smaller acts of reward and recognition. If you’re on a tight budget, finding creative solutions that employees value can drive retention, and keep your best workers to help drive your growth.
These could be, much like remote work or a 4-day work week, flexibility in time worked. Other benefits to consider would be early exits on Fridays, allowing employees to log off at 2pm as long as weekly goals or deliverables are complete. A variation I’ve seen teams do are Focus Days: one day of the week, say Wednesday, gets blocked out all day so no internal meetings happen, with employees expected to do deep work. Compressed workweeks (40 hours over 4 work days, though I like the 80 hours over 9 work days set up, so every other Friday is off), Mental health days (1-2 days per quarter, separate from sick days), or Volunteer days (a day off to do an act of good for the community), are all examples of flexibility you can provide to your employees as a reward, at no financial cost to your team.
If you’re willing to spend a little bit, but can’t spend it on raises, there are still low-cost options worth considering. Professional development opportunities like a small learning stipend (think a Coursera class or a year of Linkedin Learning instead of a major conference), mentorship circles where individuals connect with senior leaders over coffee (and the company covers the coffee), or subscriptions to apps like Headspace are all in most firms’ budgets, even during tight financial times, and can make a big difference in employee engagement.
Even when on a tight budget, you can find ways to reward and compensate your employees. Doing so can mean the difference between finding replacements and watching your team and company grow.
I’ll probably dive deeper into some examples in a future post, but broadly speaking, these small gestures return far more on your investments. The latest research suggests the average cost of turnover in the US is over $45,000 per employee, after factoring in recruiting, onboarding, training, lost productivity, and management time. Retention initiatives such as mentoring and development support, flexible work, and recognition programs show a 4.2 ROI, and can lift retention by 87%.
Employees who feel seen through recognition, development, and flexibility are 18% more productive. Including wellness initiatives can reduce absenteeism and lead to healthier employees. The improved engagement and increased productivity leads to, according to Gallup, 23% increased profitability.
Not every one of these options is the right fit for your company, and there are many more that might work, based on your company culture, the workplace, and your goals. Are you looking for ways to motivate and retain your employees, but are worried about what this means for your budget? Work with Sound Talent Strategies to discover ways you can better reward strong performance, even on a tight budget. Let’s work together to help your business grow!
Court Success: Why Your Office Needs a March Madness Pool (And How to Run One
It’s that time of year again. The brackets are drawn, the upsets are predicted, and across the country, millions of employees are subtly (and not-so-subtly) checking scores on their phones.
For decades, business leaders have viewed the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament—affectionately known as March Madness—with dread, calling it a “productivity killer.” But what if this could be a key tool in driving employee morale, engagement, and productivity?
Instead of fighting the tide, forward-thinking organizations are leaning into the tournament. They are recognizing that a structured, voluntary March Madness office pool is a powerful, low-cost tool for driving engagement, morale, and connection.
The Benefits: Fostering Community, Not Cyberloafing
The most significant benefit of a workplace March Madness pool has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with human connection.
1. Breaking Down Silos and Boosting Camaraderie
In today’s landscape of hybrid and remote work, creating a unified company culture is harder than ever. An office pool provides a neutral ground where a junior analyst can playfully banter with the CEO over their bracket. It gives employees across different departments something in common to talk about other than a spreadsheet. HR Firm Randstad U.S. found that 89% of workers reported that participating in workplace bracket contests “helped build better team camaraderie.” Research cited by Forbes Magazine showed that such healthy competition is a sign of a positive work culture, which can lead to higher quality work. Still more research shows that a March Madness office pool and other low stakes workplace competitions reduce burnout and increase retention.
2. Mental Refreshment and Enhanced Morale
The tournament offers a built-in, mental “micro-break.” Allowing employees a moment to engage in a shared, fun activity can prevent burnout and make the daily grind more palatable. The same Randstad survey noted that 84% of respondents agreed that office pools make their jobs more enjoyable, and 79% said it improved their level of engagement at work. Furthermore, research from TSheets (now QuickBooks Time) revealed that employees who are encouraged by their bosses to watch the games actually watch fewer hours than those whose bosses discourage it.
More and more, HR leaders are using March Madness to increase camaraderie, reduce burnout, and drive collaborative relationships.
Taming the Beast: Tips for Maintaining Productivity
While the benefits are clear, the tournament is designed to be captivating. You cannot simply flip on the TVs and hope for the best. To protect your company's performance, you need a strategy to keep people engaged, but ensure you still meet your key tasks, timelines, and goals.
1. Set the Ground Rules Early
Communicate clearly about the pool's voluntary nature and reiterate your existing Internet and mobile phone policies. The goal is transparency, not surveillance. Make it clear that while "the madness" is welcome, mandatory work deadlines are non-negotiable.
2. Designate "Tournament Zones"
To avoid having streaming games slow down your network or distract focused teams, create designated areas for viewing. A conference room with the games on during lunch hours or a shared digital channel for score updates allows employees to stay connected without hindering their individual tasks.
3. Encourage "Forced Efficiency"
Steve Karau, a management professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale who studies cyberloafing, argues that these distractions don't have to be entirely negative. The presence of a distraction can sometimes produce a psychological effect known as "forced efficiency." When employees know they want to catch the last ten minutes of a game, they are often more focused on "buckling down" and completing their tasks beforehand.
4. Champion Non-Monetary Prizes
To keep the event professional and avoid legal complications, explicitly ban entry fees or cash prizes. Instead, focus on bragging rights. Offer prizes like:
Lunch with the CEO.
The winner's picture prominently displayed on the internal homepage.
A coveted prime parking spot for a week.
A "late arrival" or "early departure" pass.
If you want to have some sort of monetary prize like a gift card, be sure to work with your HR team to be clear about steps you need to take to ensure you remain compliant.
The Bigger Picture: March Madness as a Low-Cost Employee Benefit
The beauty of a March Madness pool is that it costs the business nothing. It is a pure engagement play that fits perfectly into a holistic low-cost employee benefit strategy.
Businesses often focus on the big-ticket perks: premium health insurance, matching 400(k) contributions, or high salaries. While these are critical for attracting talent, research consistently shows that they are not the only, or even the most effective, levers for retaining talent and driving day-to-day performance.
The March Madness pool belongs to the critical category of culture-based, non-compensation actions.
The Evidence: Why Leader Actions Trumps Cash in Retention
The premise that non-cash actions drive business outcomes isn't a "soft skill" myth; it is backed by hard data.
Employee engagement is a primary indicator of both performance and retention. According to Gallup's comprehensive state of the workplace reports, organizations with a highly engaged workforce see 21% higher profitability and up to 59% lower turnover in high-turnover organizations.
How is that engagement built? It is rarely through salary increases alone. Instead, it is built through leadership actions that foster a sense of belonging, recognition, and psychological safety.
SHRM research shows that 83% of employees who rate their workplace culture as excellent are motivated to produce high-quality work, compared to just 45% of those in poor cultures.
Furthermore, 42% of employees who voluntarily exit organizations say their manager or the organization could have prevented their departure. This preventable attrition is almost always tied to feelings of being undervalued or disconnected from the team.
Conclusion: Embrace the Opportunity
By organizing a voluntary, structured March Madness office pool, you are sending a clear signal as a leader: "We value hard work, but we also value your mental well-being and our community."
You aren't just letting employees "play." You are strategically leveraging a national cultural moment to strengthen the relationships and morale that form the backbone of your business's performance.
So, this March, don't fight the madness. Embrace it. Your employees—and your retention rates—will thank you.
What Winter Olympians Showed About Leading Through Failure
Like many others, I spent a little over two weeks captivated with the Winter Olympics. My favorite sports to watch are biathlon, figure skating, and this year I really got into the halfpipe competitions. But this year, I was struck by something we all saw, and what it means for our own personal leadership principles.
We’ve all seen the footage. A world-class Winter Olympian—a short-track speed skater, a figure skater, a curler – catches an edges, loses their balance, or pushes the rock a little too hard. In a heartbeat, an athlete on top of their game fails in their mission in front of the entire world.
Figure 1. Adeliia Petrosian falls during the free skate competition. Image courtesy of Getty Images
I first noticed it during the figure skating competitions. Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Adam Siao Him Fa, and many other skaters had errors in their competitions. Athletes who were otherwise performing spectacularly would fall, instantly eliminating them (practically) from an Olympic medal. But every single time, the skater gets back up immediately. Why? Because dwelling on the error, regretting the turn, or nursing the immediate pain (however justified) will not help them reach the finish line.
This is an example of leadership. Specifically, what I refer to as “personal leadership”.
In business, we often frame 'resilience' as bouncing back later. True leadership resilience is rapid resetting. When a product launch fails, a critical presentation bombs, or funding falls through, a leader must process the shock instantly, push off the ice, re-engage, and figure out what it takes to accomplish the goal. The timeline for recovery defines the trajectory of the response. A leader’s speed of reset dictates the team’s reset speed.
How do we take that raw, instinctive athlete energy and apply it to a failing corporate project? Because the fact is, in sport, business, and life, we are all going to find a point where we failed. The biggest difference becomes whether or not you fail properly
Figure 2. Ilia Malinin mid-fall. Notice he immediately recognizes the situation, and despite the mistake, he continues to skate.
This is what failing properly looks like in leadership:
Acknowledge the Data, Fast: The leader doesn't hide the failing graph, the red goals, the poor client pitch; she highlights it. “This is what we set out to do, this is what happened, this is why, and this is how we will do better.” A leader’s job isn't to prevent all failures, but to illuminate them quickly so the team can learn. The curler who pushed the rock too hard and lost the end for his team immediately recognizes what went wrong, and acknowledges it.
Neutralize Blame: The focus is not on who fell, but what we do next. The skater doesn't blame the ice; she checks her skates. The leader doesn't blame the team; she identifies the cause, and looks at how to improve.
Redirect the Energy: The adrenaline of the crash is immediately channeled into the pivot. Yuma Kagiyama tripped in his sequence, and still earned the silver. The leader rallies herself and the team to look at what they learned, what to do next, and how best to move forward.
What is the result of failing properly? Learning, growth, and rapid innovation.
Think of properly failing as research and development. You’ve identified the cause, and can now craft a plan to address the cause and lead to success the next time. Because just as surely as there will be another Olympics, there will be a next time for you, as well. You also build psychological safety for your teams, as you signal that growth is welcome, and encouraged.
When an Olympian falls, they do not just get back up. They absorb the moment, process the failure instantly, and redirect that kinetic energy back into the race. They lead by example. This leader is not afraid to catch an edge, attempt a quad lux, or try to knock away a blocker. She is not afraid to see the graph crash, a goal turn red, or a client walk away. She knows that when she pushes off the ice with determination, she is building the foundation for the future breakthrough. And when she pivots, she is showing the team how to do it, and how to innovate, as well.
Fail properly. Learn from it, figure out how you can improve, and continue your forward momentum. Sound Talent Strategies can work with your leaders to develop the skills to quickly analyze and recover from failures and mistakes, leading to better growth in their leadership and in your business.
The Accidental Manager and Team Burnout
It all begins with an idea.
If you feel like your management layer is more of a mushy middle than a powerhouse, you’re not alone. I’ve been seeing it repeatedly over the years, and the data supports it. Recent Gartner research shows a startling disconnect: only 35% of HR leaders are satisfied with their mid-level managers. Even worse? Only 38% of employees actually like their boss, and less than half trust them. The problem isn't necessarily that people are bad at managing—it’s that they don’t actually want the job.
The Rise of the Reluctant Manager
Most of us have seen the typical corporate ladder in some form like this: keep moving up until you hit the manager rungs. Then, you keep going up, but only as a manager, or, you stagnate your career. We take our best individual performers, give them a team, and think “they’re a high performer, so they will do great!”
The result? As many as 82% of managers are “accidental” managers, including 25% of senior leaders, and the impacts are staggering. The Chartered Management Institute found that employees dissatisfied with their managers are not just dissatisfied with their jobs compared to those with effective managers by a 3-to-1 ratio, but are significantly more likely to leave within the year. Moreover, managers themselves can feel less engaged with the work, proving less effective in leading their teams to drive results.
So, how do you stop the reluctant manager problem?
Stop the "Surprise" Promotion
Most management selection is backward-looking. We promote people because they were great at their previous job, not because they’ll be great at the new one.
To prevent reluctant managers from taking the keys, start having the conversation early to demystify the role.
Simulate the Stress: Give candidates a taste of the “manager” stuff—workload prioritization, difficult performance reviews, and budget calibration.
Provide Mentorship: Only 26% of managers get to talk to a peer about the realities of the job before starting. Change that. Pair them with a current manager for some "real talk."
The Safe Off-Ramp: Create a culture where a candidate can say, "Actually, I’ve seen the job and it’s not for me," without it being a career-killer.
Diagnose the Reluctance
If you already have managers who seem checked out, they are not yet a lost cause. Figure out if their reluctance is addressable (they’re just overwhelmed) or entrenched (they fundamentally hate the work). Talk to your leader to see if they are frustrated with some current but temporary challenge, or with a challenge that is inherent to the role. Are some functions dull or perhaps awkward? Or do they make your leader uncomfortable?
Your leaders may need coaching to learn how to apply new skills to their new role. Or perhaps they need help establishing new habits that makes the admin of management quicker and easier.
The Bottom Line
When a manager doesn’t want to be there, everyone knows it. But when a manager is engaged, they are four times more likely to be high contributors, and those efforts cascade to their teams, in turn developing better future leaders. Investing in a selection process that ensures people actually want the job isn't just "nice to have"—it’s a retention strategy.
Facing this problem with your company? Let’s set up some time to discuss how you can help!
The start of a new era
It all begins with an idea.
My dad was an airline pilot, and for a little while – though, truthfully, during my remember-nothing years – he owned his own small cargo airline. From him, I grew up with an interest in airplanes, and at one point imagined what it would be like to start my own airline. I wasn’t so much interested in, say, taking over an established one, or working up the corporate ladder at one of the big ones. I was much more interested in starting one, figuring out how we’d be different and would grow.
As I grew and my interests evolved, I would occasionally entertain the fancy of my own little startup. In high school, I had, what I still maintain was, the original concept for iTunes – though in my mind it was a service that would burn CDs with your selected songs and mail it to you. Still, the common barrier to these ideas centered around this thought – “I don’t actually know how to do this.”
Today, I open the doors for Sound Talent Strategies, which, for me, provides an opportunity to scratch that business-owner itch, without that self-restricting barrier. After decades in the Talent Development and Human Resources fields, I decided to launch Sound Talent Strategies to help our small- and medium-sized businesses, startups, and growing companies set up their talent departments in a way to best support their business and future growth.
I first found my passion for the field when I was serving in the Marine Corps. After a couple deployments, I was put in charge of training our battalion’s pre-deployment teams. I loved seeing teams work together through our training programs, and comparing the teams and individuals at the end of our programs to how they were performing at the start, and sharing those improvements. I learned a lot about human development and how people learn through experiences, and I decided to pursue this field after my military service. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working for higher education institutions and the corporate world, during which I’ve had the pleasure to learn more about the human resources field at large.
My goal is to work with clients to develop holistic approaches to developing and growing their talent. For some, that might be a specific leadership development opportunity focusing on specific outcomes. For others, that might be a broader project in a specific area that they need help in. And still, for some, it may be more of a generalist need that can handle the day-to-day during times of transition.
I encourage you to check out the different services Sound Talent Strategies offers, and if you’d like to learn more, let’s chat! I also encourage you to come back for a visit, as I’ll be using this blog to share some thoughts on talent-related issues and questions throughout the year. Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to getting to know you!