By Satveer Bhatt, Head of Human Resources, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Boehringer Ingelheim
Job security remains important, but it does not necessarily determine whether employees can see a future with an organisation.
For business leaders, this is more than a workforce issue. When experienced employees leave, organisations also lose knowledge, relationships and capabilities that can take time to rebuild.
Employees are more likely to see a future within an organisation when they can continue learning, access new opportunities and receive support as their responsibilities change.
People’s needs and ambitions rarely remain unchanged throughout their careers. A graduate seeking guidance may later want regional exposure. An experienced specialist may decide to lead a team. A new parent or caregiver may need greater flexibility without wanting to put their career on hold.
The question for employers is therefore not only how to attract people, but whether the workplace can remain relevant as employees’ capabilities, ambitions and circumstances change.
A Strong Start Needs More Than a Job Title
The first few years of a career shape how people apply their knowledge, work through uncertainty and understand the contribution they can make.
New employees do not all arrive with the same level of exposure. Some may have completed several internships, while others may be entering a corporate workplace for the first time. What they need is clarity about expectations, regular feedback and opportunities to learn through meaningful work.
Managers play an important role in making development tangible. This can involve explaining the reasoning behind a decision, giving an employee responsibility before they feel completely ready and treating mistakes as opportunities to improve. Such day-to-day support can be as important as formal training.
Career development also works best as a shared effort. Employees bring their aspirations and willingness to learn, while organisations provide accessible learning, open conversations and opportunities that help them identify where their strengths could take them.
At Boehringer Ingelheim, employees can access learning through Boehringer Ingelheim University, alongside opportunities to gain experience across functions, countries and regional development programmes. These resources are intended to help employees build relevant skills and explore different career directions as their interests and aspirations develop.
For this to work, employees also need clear visibility of the opportunities available and confidence that they will be considered fairly.
Career Growth Does Not Always Mean a Promotion
As employees gain experience, career development becomes less straightforward. One person may want to manage a team, another may want to deepen their expertise, while someone else may be ready to move into a different function or market.
Employers therefore need to recognise that a lateral move, cross-functional project or regional assignment can be as valuable as a promotion. Such experiences allow employees to develop a broader understanding of the business beyond the boundaries of one role.
However, internal mobility depends on more than having opportunities available. Managers must be willing to discuss employees’ ambitions, including when the best next move may be into another team.
This can be difficult, particularly when it means losing a strong performer. Yet holding people back can eventually mean losing them altogether.
Employee retention should not be understood as keeping people in the same role for as long as possible. Instead, it means giving employees enough room to develop so that they do not always have to look elsewhere for their next opportunity.
Employee Support Must Evolve Too
People’s circumstances change throughout their careers. They may become parents or caregivers, face a health challenge or need greater flexibility at a particular stage of life.
Employee support should therefore account for physical, mental, social and financial wellbeing while recognising that people have responsibilities beyond work.
Flexible arrangements, family-care leave and mental-health coverage can help employees navigate these changes while remaining engaged in their careers.
Leadership development is another important consideration. Strong individual performance does not automatically prepare someone to manage others. First-time managers may need guidance on providing feedback, handling difficult conversations and working with different personalities, while experienced leaders may require support as their influence expands.
Workplace Culture Shapes Employee Retention
A strong company culture is also an important factor in whether people choose to stay.
Employees are more likely to see a future with an organisation when its values are reflected consistently in how people are led, supported and encouraged to contribute. Policies may establish the direction, but managers and leaders determine how that culture is experienced in everyday work.
Senior leaders, in turn, shape whether managers have the capacity to develop their people, whether internal movement is encouraged and whether employees are considered for opportunities beyond their current functions.
Development may be supported by human resources, but it must be championed and enabled across the organisation.
The Everyday Employee Experience Matters
Having been present in Malaysia for 40 years, Boehringer Ingelheim has found that organisational longevity depends in part on the ability to evolve with its people.
Its People Promise reflects this commitment by empowering employees to shape their own career paths within a strong and inclusive culture, while connecting their work to a shared purpose of celebrating differences and improving the lives of people and animals.
The company’s recognition as a Top Employer in Malaysia provides external validation, but the everyday experience of employees remains an important measure.
Organisations must keep listening rather than waiting until employees decide to leave. Can people discuss their ambitions openly? Do they see opportunities to develop before looking elsewhere? Does the support available remain relevant as their circumstances change?
No organisation will meet every need perfectly, and people move on for many valid reasons. An employer’s responsibility is to listen, respond where it can and continue investing in people after they have settled into their roles.
Ultimately, employee retention is not about expecting people to remain where they are. It is about giving them room to contribute in new ways as their aspirations and the organisation’s needs evolve, while retaining the knowledge, capabilities and leadership depth the organisation will need for what comes next.
