Culture, engagement and retention

Retention is shaped by the everyday employment experience: the manager, workload, inclusion, pay, recognition and opportunity to grow. Location may change how that experience is delivered, but it does not change the fundamentals.

Be curious about how individuals prefer to communicate, receive feedback and make decisions. Some employees may be reluctant to challenge authority or deliver bad news directly, especially before trust is established, but avoid assuming this is true of everyone.

Invite alternative views explicitly, ask specific questions and respond calmly when problems are raised. Ask the partner for local context while continuing to manage each employee as an individual.

Invite offshore employees to relevant all-hands meetings, planning sessions and team activities. Share business performance and strategy at the same level that is appropriate for comparable local roles.

Include people on the organisation chart and in internal communications. Introduce them to customers where the role requires it and make sure their contribution is visible to the wider business.

Discuss how the role could grow through deeper expertise, broader responsibility, project ownership, leadership or movement into another function. Provide relevant learning and stretch assignments rather than waiting for the employee to request them.

Promote from within where capability supports it, while being honest about limits. Record development goals and revisit them at least twice a year.

Understand the complete employment package, including salary, mandatory entitlements and optional benefits. Ask the partner for current market advice and confirm which benefits are included in the commercial fee.

Use recognition, team events and performance rewards fairly. Employment entitlements should never be presented as discretionary bonuses; confirm their current treatment with the partner’s HR team.

Visits can strengthen relationships, improve context and reveal operating issues that are difficult to see remotely. When practical, include time with the working team as well as leadership meetings.

Consider opportunities for established employees or leaders to visit the local office where the commercial, visa and employment arrangements permit it. If travel is not feasible, use well-designed virtual sessions rather than treating ordinary meetings as team events.

Common risks include poor management, limited development, uncompetitive pay, exclusion, repetitive work and unsustainable hours. Watch for changes in participation, quality, attendance or willingness to take ownership, but do not diagnose the cause without asking.

Use engagement conversations and the partner’s HR insight to identify concerns early. Conduct respectful exit conversations and turn recurring themes into specific management actions.