CASE STUDY
Keeping Top Talent: What to Do When Employees Outgrow Their Role
CLIENT:
A small to mid-sized real estate brokerage with about 50 agents and a growing admin team. They noticed talented employees either felt stuck or left for new opportunities. Leadership wanted a way to keep their best people engaged and growing.
PROJECT:
A talent retention strategy focused on career development and leadership training. We identified employees’ strengths, provided targeted training, and created growth opportunities within the company. This helped employees see a future at the brokerage instead of looking elsewhere.
RESULTS:
By aligning employees with roles that matched their strengths, they gained confidence, skills, and renewed passion for their work. Leadership development helped managers support career growth, creating a more engaged team. As a result, the brokerage retained key talent and strengthened its culture.
“We knew we had great people, but we didn’t have a clear path to keep them growing within the company. This process helped us not only retain our top talent but also reignite their passion for their work. Now, our team feels more engaged, motivated, and committed to the brokerage’s success.”
– Managing Broker
The brokerage had a strong team, but as the company grew, so did the challenges in keeping employees engaged. Some team members had outgrown their roles, while others struggled to see a clear career path within the organization. Leadership wanted to create opportunities for growth while ensuring the right people were in the right positions. The goal was to reduce turnover, improve job satisfaction, and build a culture where employees felt valued and motivated to stay long-term.
Employees were either plateauing in their roles or leaving for better opportunities elsewhere. Some were overqualified for their positions but didn’t see a clear next step within the company, while others had potential but lacked the necessary training to advance. Leadership struggled to identify who needed a new challenge, who required upskilling, and how to structure internal career paths. Without a clear system in place, talent was being underutilized or lost altogether.
The Solution: A Strategic Approach to Employee Retention and Growth
As the brokerage faced growing challenges in retaining employees who had either outgrown their roles or lacked a clear career path, we implemented a structured, multi-phase approach to address talent retention, employee engagement, and leadership development.
Phase 1: Identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, and Career Aspirations
The first step was understanding the workforce at an individual level. Many employees felt stagnant not because they wanted to leave, but because they lacked a sense of direction. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive talent assessment, which included:
Employee Strengths & Weaknesses Analysis: Each employee completed a self-assessment questionnaire, followed by manager evaluations and peer feedback. This helped identify untapped potential and areas needing development.
Career Aspiration Interviews: Employees were encouraged to share their long-term career goals in one-on-one meetings. Some wanted leadership opportunities, while others preferred specialized roles.
Skills Gap Assessment: By comparing employee skill sets with job requirements, we identified where training and upskilling were necessary.
Internal Mobility Audit: We analyzed whether existing roles within the brokerage aligned with employee aspirations and identified potential lateral or upward moves.
Phase 2: Developing a Tailored Training & Leadership Program
Once we identified key challenges, we designed a customized training and leadership development program to bridge the gaps. This program focused on three core areas:
1. Leadership Development for Future Managers
To retain high-potential employees and prepare them for leadership, we launched an 8-week leadership training program that covered:
Effective Communication & Conflict Resolution
Time Management & Productivity Strategies
Coaching & Mentorship Skills
Decision-Making & Strategic Thinking
Emotional Intelligence & Team Dynamics
Performance Management & Employee Development
2. Upskilling & Cross-Training for Career Mobility
Employees looking to transition into new roles received specialized training, including:
Technical Training: Real estate compliance, CRM systems, and data analytics.
Sales & Negotiation Workshops: For administrative staff moving into agent support or client-facing roles.
Operational Training: Finance, HR, and marketing basics for employees exploring broader business functions.
3. One-on-One Career Coaching & Mentorship
Each participant was paired with a mentor or career coach within the brokerage to help them set goals, track progress, and navigate internal opportunities.
Phase 3: Redefining Job Roles & Career Pathways
To ensure long-term success, we restructured job roles to better align with employee strengths and business needs. This included:
Creating Clear Career Pathways: We established defined career tracks with specific competencies and milestones, so employees knew exactly what was required to move up.
Revising Job Descriptions: Many roles were expanded to include growth-oriented responsibilities, giving employees more challenges and room to advance.
Internal Job Postings & Promotions: Employees were encouraged to apply for new roles within the brokerage, with leadership prioritizing internal candidates before hiring externally.
Phase 4: Continuous Improvement & Future Planning
With a solid framework in place, we focused on sustaining and evolving the program through:
1. Ongoing Training & Development
Monthly leadership roundtables for continued learning.
Regular career check-ins to adjust career paths as needed.
Advanced skills workshops based on industry trends.
2. Employee Feedback & Engagement Initiatives
Quarterly surveys to track job satisfaction and identify new challenges.
Peer recognition programs to celebrate employee growth and achievements.
Leadership town halls to keep communication open between management and staff.
3. Measuring Success & ROI
Tracking promotion rates and internal mobility statistics.
Monitoring retention trends and engagement scores.
Adjusting training and career programs based on real-time feedback.
By aligning employees with positions that suited their strengths, job satisfaction and engagement increased across the brokerage. Leadership development helped managers better support career growth, creating a stronger and more motivated team. Employees who had previously felt stuck now had a clear path forward, leading to higher retention and improved morale. The brokerage also saw reduced hiring costs by filling more roles internally rather than seeking external candidates.
With a stronger foundation in place, the brokerage is now focused on continuously refining its career development programs. Ongoing leadership training will ensure managers continue to nurture and guide their teams effectively. Plans are in motion to introduce mentorship programs, giving employees even more opportunities to grow within the company. By staying committed to talent development, the brokerage is building a culture where employees don’t just stay—they thrive.
