Beyond Training: The Overlooked Key to Employee Retention and Operational Efficiency

Colleen Rudio
Jun 7
3 min read

Updated: Aug 19

employee retention strategies- Cascadia Management Group

When thinking about how to set employees up for success, most leaders jump straight to training—and rightly so. Effective onboarding and training are essential. According to Gallup (2019), employees who strongly agree they had an exceptional onboarding experience are 2.6 times more likely to be extremely satisfied with their workplace. And ClearCompany (2023) found that 40% of employees who receive poor job training leave within the first year.So yes—training matters (and we’ll dive deeper into that in future posts). But here’s a question leaders often overlook:Is the job itself well-designed to support success?

Training a Broken System Doesn’t Fix It

It doesn’t matter how well you train someone if the systems and workflows they step into are riddled with inefficiencies. Processes that aren’t streamlined, logical, or clearly defined can leave even your most capable employees frustrated—and looking for the exit.

Let’s look at a real-world example. At a local gym, new member information must be:

Entered into the member database
Re-entered into the ID printing program
Re-entered again into the security access systemNow imagine launching a spring promotion with a goal of signing up 250 new members in five days.

How do you thinkg the front desk feels? Excited? Probably not.

According to ServiceNow (2019), 86% of employees say poor processes and outdated tools hinder their productivity—and worse, it erodes morale.

Invisible Inefficiencies Are the Silent Killers of Productivity

Some inefficiencies, like the example above, are easy to spot. But often, they’re hidden in plain sight—disguised by habit, outdated workarounds, or simply “the way we’ve always done it.” Over time, these small inefficiencies compound into major time, cost, and quality issues.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”— Albert Einstein

That’s where process mapping comes in.

The Power of Process Mapping

Process mapping is a visual technique that helps teams understand how work actually flows—step by step—and where things break down. From uncovering redundancies to identifying missing handoffs between departments, it provides clarity and opens the door for real improvement.

While internal teams can tackle this exercise, bringing in a neutral third party often makes a bigger impact. Why? Because they aren’t attached to existing routines. They’ll ask questions like:

· Why is this step necessary?

· What would happen if you eliminated this?

· How do different departments communicate this process?

· How do you verify this is being done consistently?

By asking these critical questions, organizations uncover not just inefficiencies, but opportunities for innovation and alignment.

Create a Culture of Continuous Process Improvement

Organizations that regularly examine and refine their internal workflows become more:

· Efficient

· Resilient

· Adaptive

This mindset of continuous improvement enables companies to:

· Respond faster to market shifts

· Stay compliant with evolving regulations

· Deliver better outcomes to customers

· Increase employee engagement and retention

“Fix the process, not the people.”— W. Edwards Deming

At the end of the day, investing in your processes is an investment in your people—and your future. A well-trained employee can only go so far in a poorly designed system. But a well-designed system? That creates the conditions for your people to thrive.