How to Keep Talented People? | 매거진에 참여하세요

Collaboration isn’t enough—long-term relationships with great people take intent.

Truly competent people are rare. Those who can take ownership, solve problems inde

pendently, and consistently deliver value? Even rarer.

So the real question isn’t how to find such people—it’s what to do after you find them.

If you’re lucky enough to meet someone like that, don’t just say, “Let’s work together.”
Ask yourself: How can we work together for a long time?

Here’s what that takes.

1. Think About Their Future—Not Just Yours

People don’t stick around just because of money.
Even highly skilled individuals stay where they feel seen, valued, and understood.

Are you genuinely thinking about their career trajectory?

• What does this project unlock for them?

• What will this role look like on their resume, 1 or 3 years from now?

• What doors might it open?

When assigning a task, don’t just hand it off. Frame it with care:

“If you take the lead on this one, it’ll be a great growth opportunity. It won’t be easy, but I’ll support you.”

And then show up.
Support them, prioritize their development—even if it slows things down in the short term.

Skilled people know when they’re being genuinely supported. And they stick around when they feel you’re invested in their future.

2. Let Go of the Small Stuff

Talented people have high standards—and their own ways of working.
They might challenge your preferences over minor things: a tool, a file format, a workflow.

Resist the urge to control everything.

If it’s not mission-critical, let it go.

• Want to use a different format? Sure.

• Prefer a different tool? Go for it.

• Want to handle it your way? I trust you.

This doesn’t mean giving up on big-picture principles.
But the small things? They’re often not worth fighting over.

A simple “I trust your judgment” goes further than you think.

3. Allow Them to Fail

High performers don’t succeed all the time—because they take real risks.
When they fail, it’s often in pursuit of something ambitious.

If your reaction is:

• “How could you mess this up?”

• “Who’s accountable for this?”

You’ll quickly kill their appetite for risk.

Give them the freedom to fail, and more importantly, the freedom to learn.

Say instead:

“This didn’t go as planned, but it was a valuable lesson.”
“Let’s figure out how we can make it better next time.”

Talented people value environments where they can grow through experimentation.
If you want to keep them, build that space.

4. Praise Quickly, Critique Carefully

Some managers are slow to compliment and quick to criticize.
That’s a fast track to losing your best people.

Celebrate even small wins:

• “This turned out great—thanks to your idea.”

• “I wouldn’t have thought of that approach. Brilliant.”

Praise is motivation.
Criticism, on the other hand, should be private, specific, and respectful.

Focus on improvement—not blame.

“Next time, here’s something we could try differently.”

Remember: talented people don’t mind feedback.
They just hate disrespect.

5. Treat Them as Partners, Not Subordinates

No one wants to feel like a cog in your machine.

Talented people thrive when treated as partners.

• Include them in decisions.

• Co-create goals.

• Share credit, loudly and visibly.

If things go well, don’t say “I nailed it.”

Say “We made it happen.”

That shift—from boss to partner—is what builds long-term trust.

6. Watch Your Tone, Always

Tone builds—or breaks—relationships.
The more capable your teammate, the more they’ll pick up on subtle signals.

Avoid patronizing or directive tones like:

• “You should have done it this way.”

• “That’s not how we do it.”

Instead, invite collaboration:

“I’ve seen it done like this—what do you think?”

Even better, show humility:

“You know this area better than I do—can you walk me through your thinking?”

Being honest about what you don’t know earns more respect than pretending you know it all.

Because nothing turns off a great teammate faster than a know-it-all who doesn’t.

In Summary: How to Keep Talented People Around

✅ Think about their long-term growth
✅ Let go of the small stuff
✅ Create a safe space for failure
✅ Give fast recognition, slow critique
✅ Treat them as partners, not workers
✅ Speak with humility and respect

Keeping great people isn’t about luck.
It’s about mindset, intentionality, and a deep commitment to mutual growth.

Because in the end, attracting great people is easy.

Keeping them? That’s the real skill.

And if you can do that—chances are, you’re becoming one of those great people yourself.