29/05/2026
📌 In this author’s column, Marina Putrenok, HRBP at peax software (Zemingo & iConduct), reflects on what really helps retain key people and keep teams engaged: not one big initiative, but a system of everyday HR and management practices that make people feel supported, seen, and motivated.
At peax software, retention is not only about compensation. It is about how closely HR works with managers, how clearly people see their growth path, and how consistently teams stay connected to the business and to each other.
One of the biggest shifts in our approach came with the HR Business Partner model. Today, HRBP is not only close to the team – HRBP is a real partner to managers in all people-related decisions. This creates better ownership on the management side and a more mature support model for the team.
What helps retain key people in practice?
🌱 A structured start.
We use a 7-touch onboarding approach in the first three months, with regular HRBP check-ins that help build trust early and make sure every newcomer knows where to go for support.
📈 Regular development and performance cycles.
Performance reviews and salary reviews are part of the rhythm. They do not replace each other – they serve different purposes, at different moments, but together they create clarity and progression.
🎓 Real investment in learning.
In teams where this is already strongly built, people have learning budgets and access to professional development resources. Growth can take different forms: training, promotion, internal mobility, or a broader development perspective.
🤝 Team connection matters.
Retention is also shaped by how close people feel to their team. Regular team meetings, smaller sub-team gatherings, knowledge-sharing sessions, and informal meetups all strengthen connections and keep people engaged beyond their day-to-day tasks.
🧠 Managers must stay involved.
A strong retention system does not work when HR carries people topics alone. Managers need to be active participants in conversations, reviews, hiring decisions, development planning, and everyday support. That shared responsibility makes the whole model much stronger.
⚙️ Tools also matter.
HR infrastructure like PeopleForce helps reduce friction, centralize people data, improve visibility for managers, and make routine processes more transparent for team members. That may sound operational, but in reality, it directly improves the talent experience.
✨ The main lesson is simple: people stay longer and work with more energy when support is not occasional, but systematic – when there is structure, development, honest dialogue, and a real sense that both HR and managers are invested in their success.