Workforce retention has long been a top concern for associations, yet many leaders focus on the wrong part of the equation. They pour resources into perks, engagement programs, and recognition efforts — only to find that their best people still leave while underperformers linger. What if the real secret to retention isn’t about keeping people at all costs, but about hiring with intention and letting go with clarity?

Will Guidara, in Unreasonable Hospitality, lays out a principle that associations would do well to adopt: Hire slow, fire fast. It sounds counterintuitive in an era where organizations scramble to fill vacancies, but the reality is that rushed hiring and hesitant firing create the very turnover crises we seek to avoid.

Hire Slow: The Art of Selective Recruitment

In the rush to fill positions, associations often default to checking boxes: skills, experience, and industry familiarity. But the best long-term hires aren’t just qualified — they’re deeply aligned with your association’s mission, values, and culture.

Hire for cultural fit, not just competency.
Guidara’s approach in the hospitality industry was to build a team obsessed with creating meaningful experiences. Associations must do the same. A candidate can have an impeccable resume, but if they don’t resonate with your mission, they’ll disengage — or worse, disrupt your culture.

Start by embedding culture-driven questions in interviews:

• What about our mission excites you?
• Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a member or customer.
• How do you define success beyond job performance?

The “stage” approach to hiring.
High-end restaurants have a practice called “staging,” where potential hires work a shift before getting the job. Associations should adopt a similar model. Whether it’s a trial project, a problem-solving exercise, or a structured team interaction, candidates should demonstrate how they think, collaborate, and problem-solve in real time.

Hire with long-term vision.
Too many associations hire reactively — filling a gap instead of strategically building a team. The best hires aren’t just meeting today’s needs; they’re poised to grow into tomorrow’s leaders. Instead of defaulting to industry insiders, look for candidates with complementary experiences that bring fresh thinking to the table.

Fire Fast: Protecting the Culture You Build

If slow hiring is about building the right team, fast firing is about maintaining it. Keeping the wrong people out of fear of disruption does more damage than letting them go. Underperformers create friction, lower morale, and, paradoxically, drive away your best talent.

Address cultural misalignment early.
Guidara’s philosophy isn’t about being ruthless — it’s about being decisive. If someone isn’t the right fit, waiting six months won’t change that. Associations often delay difficult conversations, hoping an employee will “come around.” In reality, misalignment rarely fixes itself.

Leaders should have honest, early conversations with struggling employees:

• Are they self-aware about the misalignment?
• Do they have the capacity and willingness to adapt?
• Is the problem skill-based or values-based?

If an employee’s values don’t align, it’s time to part ways. If the issue is skills-based but the cultural fit is strong, invest in training.

Consider the impact on high performers.
Every time an association tolerates underperformance, it signals to top talent that standards don’t matter. High performers will either lower their own expectations or leave altogether. Firing fast isn’t just about removing inefficiency — it’s about protecting the engagement of those who truly drive your mission forward.

Make exits as thoughtful as entries.
Letting someone go should be handled with the same level of care as hiring them. Transparency, respect, and support in transitions prevent negative ripple effects within the team. A well-managed departure reinforces your culture rather than eroding it.

Rethinking Retention: Quality Over Quantity

Associations often view retention in binary terms — people either stay or they leave. But the real metric should be who stays and why. Retaining people who elevate your association is success. Holding onto disengaged or misaligned employees is stagnation.

A New Approach to Workforce Retention

• Prioritize the right people. Shift focus from blanket retention strategies to nurturing and advancing your highest-impact team members.
• Continually reassess fit. Hiring isn’t a one-time decision. Teams evolve, and so should your evaluation of whether an employee still aligns with the mission.
• Embrace healthy turnover. Losing the wrong people makes room for the right ones. A well-timed departure can be a net positive.

Elevate Workforce Strategy, Elevate Your Organization

Hiring slow and firing fast isn’t about creating churn — it’s about building a workforce that’s engaged, aligned, and capable of advancing your association’s mission. Associations that adopt this mindset will spend less time fixing retention problems and more time leading teams that thrive.

By taking a cue from Unreasonable Hospitality, association leaders can create work environments where people don’t just stay for a paycheck, but because they are genuinely invested in making an impact. That’s the kind of workforce retention that truly matters.