What 11,000 Undercover Interviews Reveal About Retention with Clint Pulver

In episode 269, Coffey talks with Clint Pulver about what 11,000 undercover employee interviews revealed about why people stay, why they leave, and what separates managers who are merely tolerated from the ones employees call mentors.

–  HRSOUTHWEST  October 11-13, 2026 –

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They discuss the gap between how leaders perceive their own organizations and the reality employees experience — and why employees rarely tell their boss the truth; the four manager archetypes — the removed manager, the buddy manager, the controller, and the mentor — mapped against the twin variables of standards and connection; mentorship over management as the consistent differentiator in organizations where people thrive and stay; the five Cs of mentorship — confidence, credibility, competency, candor, and care — and how each can be developed, not just inherited; why there is no universal retention formula and why getting to "the part about the individual" outperforms any generational strategy or workplace perk; the currency of recognition and why personalized, moment-based acknowledgment drives engagement far more than standardized rewards; the status check as a practical alternative to performance reviews — three questions that open a real conversation about what an employee needs, what's blocking their success, and what would keep them; why leaders who say they don't have time to connect are simply choosing other priorities, and what it costs them; and the difference between collaboration and control in difficult conversations, including how candor and trust work together when a manager can't give an employee what they're asking for.

About our Guest:

Clint Pulver is an Emmy Award winner, Hall of Fame Speaker, Pro Drummer and one of the world’s leading voices on employee retention and organizational culture. He’s the bestselling author of the book titled I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave and was named one of Business Q Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 for his groundbreaking research as the Undercover Millennial.

As founder and president of The Center for Employee Retention, he has helped organizations like the NBA, Microsoft, Red Bull, and NASA create engaged, loyal, and thriving workplaces. He’s also appeared on America’s Got Talent, acted in feature films alongside stars like Jack Black and Jon Heder, is an avid helicopter pilot, and—fun fact—is a proud member of the R2D2 Builders Club. He is also the president and founder of Dream Machines, a foundation that gives children with disabilities the gift and magic of flight.

Clint strongly believes that a single moment in time can change a person’s life. He has traveled the world speaking to a wide spectrum of diverse audiences, challenging them to dream, excel, connect, and believe--both in themselves and in the power of others. His mantra? “It’s not about being the best in the world…it's about being the best FOR the world.”

Clint Pulvert can be reached at:

Your Website:  | https://clintpulver.com/

LinkedIn:  | https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintpulver/