Great institutions are built on talented people who teach and support students every day. When faculty and staff leave, progress slows and culture suffers. The key to retention is understanding what matters most to your people and acting on it. In a recent study, we found that:
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33% of teachers are considering leaving
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44% report frequent burnout
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Nearly half of schools have open staff vacancies
For Higher Education, the message is clear -- faculty and staff retention is the foundation for student success, reputation, and efficiency.
Top Drivers of Turnover
Our own research, in our 2025 State of Experience in Education uncovered four reasons for teachers leaving the profession:
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Lack of trust in leadership – Only 59% of employees trust senior leaders.
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Poor communication – Just 61% feel their organization communicates openly and honestly.
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Limited support during change – 70% say processes aren’t built to meet evolving student needs.
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Tech and AI challenges – 45% use AI tools weekly, but training and guardrails often lag.
These themes seem to be familiar across campuses everywhere. The good news is they can be fixed with the right focus and follow-through.
3 Strategies To Consider
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Listen: Capture faculty and staff feedback through multiple channels: surveys, email, QR, or SMS.
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Understand: Link experience data with HR systems to uncover root causes (e.g., connect workload feedback with absence data).
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Act: Don’t just collect feedback, close the loop. Route issues to the right teams, act visibly, and share updates back.
This continuous cycle of listening and action not only strengthens retention, but creates a culture where faculty feel seen, supported, and valued.
Join the Conversation
How is your institution using feedback and data to proactively retain faculty and staff, not just react when someone leaves? Please let us know in the comments below!
