Minal Joshi Jaeckli: How Do You Keep Top Employee Engagement?

Retaining top talent is a challenge many leaders grapple with—turnover doesn’t just disrupt workflows, it hits the bottom line hard, costing companies up to 1.5 times an employee’s salary to replace them. So, how do you keep your best people engaged and committed? Enter Minal Joshi Jaeckli, a global citizen with a rich tapestry of experiences—from growing up in Zambia to thriving in Silicon Valley and Switzerland. With a chemistry degree, an MBA, and a career spanning semiconductors and financial services, Minal brings a unique perspective to the table. Her book, The Goldilocks Team: Master Retention and Hiring, offers a fresh take on employee engagement, rooted in her personal journey and a decade of research. In a recent podcast, she shared a powerful insight: engagement isn’t about trendy perks or guesswork—it’s about meeting basic human needs in a way that resonates.

Minal’s story is as compelling as her solutions. Imagine a young woman, born in Africa to Indian parents, navigating life in Georgia’s sultry south before landing in the tech-driven buzz of Silicon Valley. Now, picture her as a Swiss passport holder, blending precision with a global outlook. Her career thrived until 2008, when the music stopped, and she found herself disengaged for the first time. That moment sparked a quest to understand what drives happiness at work—not just for her, but for millions worldwide. What she discovered could transform how businesses approach retention.

The Hidden Cost of Disengagement

Let’s start with a sobering reality: only about 20% of the global workforce is engaged, according to Gallup. That leaves 80% either coasting or quietly plotting their exit. For businesses, this isn’t just a morale issue—it’s a financial one. “The cost of retaining and losing and rehiring and retraining, it’s about 1.5 times the base salary,” Minal explains. Beyond dollars, there’s the ripple effect: missed milestones, frustrated clients, and a tarnished reputation. Ever walked into a coffee shop where the barista’s attitude screams disengagement? That’s the customer-facing version of a problem brewing inside your team.

Minal’s own wake-up call came when her once-thrilling career hit a wall. Having modeled molecules and finances, she turned her analytical mind to a new puzzle: what makes work meaningful? Her answer lies in basic human needs—safety, connection, growth, contribution, and significance. These aren’t buzzwords; they’re the foundation of engagement. Yet, she warns, they’re not one-size-fits-all. “All of us have these things that we value, but we don’t value them all the time equally,” she says. The key? Understanding what matters to each employee and aligning it with their role.

Connection: The Heart of Retention

If there’s one thread weaving through Minal’s insights, it’s connection. Forget the manager-bashing rants flooding LinkedIn—she’s not here for it. Instead, she reframes the narrative: it’s not about bad bosses; it’s about relationships. Gallup’s research backs her up, showing that a manager can influence an employee’s engagement by up to 70%. Swap out a manager, and the same company can feel like a different universe. Minal recalls her own shift from loving her job to dreading it, not because the work changed, but because the connection did.

So, how do you build that bond? It’s less about grand gestures and more about trust. Do you deliver when your team counts on you? Do they feel you’ve got their back? Minal uses a personal example: she’s a “fun girl at dinner parties” but runs a “military” work style. If someone’s late once, she’ll shrug it off. By the third time? “Oh my gosh, no, I cannot work with this person.” It’s not about being rigid—it’s about compatibility. When trust falters, collaboration crumbles, and soon, your top talent is out the door.

Rethinking Retention Strategies

Too often, retention efforts fall into three traps: legacy (“we’ve always done it this way”), trends (sushi Fridays, anyone?), or guesswork (“I know what my team wants”). Minal calls this “bogus.” Silicon Valley might flaunt colorful coffee areas, but do they address safety or meaning? Probably not. And those surprise resignations? They’re a sign you’re guessing wrong. Instead, she advocates for a data-driven approach, like her Goldilocks framework—finding the “just right” fit between people and teams.

Her solution starts with two pillars: values alignment and interpersonal alignment. Values alignment checks if what employees care about matches what they’re getting. Interpersonal alignment ensures smooth collaboration. Think of it like a weather app: quick, clear, actionable. No fluffy culture sprays or empty “we’re a family” emails—especially when layoffs loom. Minal’s seen the sarcasm those spark, and she’s not wrong: authenticity matters.

Building Your Goldilocks Team

So, how do you apply this? First, ditch the myths. Culture isn’t a monolith—it varies floor by floor. Toxic vibes don’t always trickle from the top; often, it’s the manager next door. And hiring for “attitude”? Good luck testing that in a 30-minute interview. Minal’s Goldilocks Team assessment cuts through the noise. It’s not about cloning yourself—she’s structured but craves creative teammates. It’s about finding who complements you, like pairing a physicist with a communicator at CERN.

The payoff? Teams that gel fast, perform better, and stick around. Plus, you save that 1.5x salary hit. Minal’s book walks you through it, blending her global lens with practical tools. Curious about the stats? Check Gallup’s engagement data or explore employee retention strategies from SHRM.

Key Takeaways and Your Next Step

Minal Joshi Jaeckli’s message is clear: keeping top talent engaged isn’t rocket science—it’s human science. Focus on connection, align values, and match work styles. Ditch the guesswork and trendy perks for a framework that fits. Your business will thank you, and so will your team. Ready to rethink retention? Grab The Goldilocks Team or start with a simple question: do your employees feel safe and valued today? Answer that, and you’re on your way to a team that stays.