Episode 510 Key Strategies for Employee Retention with Drew McLellan

Jul 14, 2025

Dive into the essentials of employee retention with insights on creating clear, forward-thinking job descriptions that highlight growth opportunities. Discover the importance of thoughtful onboarding and regular one-on-one meetings to boost engagement. The power of frequent feedback and structured growth goals is emphasized, fostering professional development. Drew shares personal connection strategies, like his unique tradition of 'Dinner with Drew,' to cultivate a culture where employees feel valued and appreciated.

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ADVICE

Detailed Job Descriptions Matter

Create detailed job descriptions that include day-to-day responsibilities, time allocation, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Include skills required and a 30/60/90 day onboarding plan to set clear expectations and growth paths.

INSIGHT

Career Pathing Enhances Retention

Career pathing clarifies growth opportunities in an agency, showing employees how to advance or pivot roles.
This structured growth approach meets younger employees' expectations and helps retain talent.

ADVICE

Deliberate Onboarding Process

Map out the first 30 days of onboarding deliberately, spreading information to avoid overload.
Schedule meetings gradually with key people to help new hires acclimate and start contributing effectively.

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Welcome to another insightful solo cast of the Build a Better Agency podcast! This week, host Drew McLellan takes you deep into a cornerstone topic for agency owners: building, retaining, and growing an exceptional team. Drawing on real-world conversations with agency leaders and years of industry experience, Drew breaks down the full lifecycle of stellar employee management that every agency needs to thrive.

Drew starts by revealing why agencies often miss the mark with generic job descriptions and lays out a compelling case for comprehensive, forward-thinking job documentation. He shares tips for crafting descriptions that not only clarify day-to-day expectations but also highlight growth opportunities, career paths, and clear metrics for success. You’ll discover why this clarity is key to motivating employees—and how it can help you retain top talent for the long haul.

The episode then explores the critical steps beyond hiring: thoughtful onboarding, regular one-on-one meetings, and a robust review process that supports ongoing professional growth. Drew demystifies quarterly mini-reviews and annual evaluations, emphasizing the power of frequent feedback and targeted growth goals. He also shares actionable ideas for establishing genuine personal connections, such as his “Dinner with Drew” tradition, fostering a culture where employees feel truly seen and valued.

If you’re looking for practical, actionable strategies to level up your agency’s employee experience and unlock deeper value from your team, this episode is a must-listen. Drew’s step-by-step ecosystem will not only help you develop happier and more loyal employees but will also empower you to drive agency growth from within. Don’t miss the downloadable resources mentioned in the show notes—your roadmap to a more engaged, high-performing agency starts here!

A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

- Crafting detailed, future-focused job descriptions to attract and retain top talent
- Driving employee engagement and growth through thoughtful career pathing
- Redefining onboarding with a deliberate, month-long approach
- Empowering employees and supervisors via structured biweekly one-on-one meetings
- Shifting from annual to quarterly reviews for real-time feedback and development
- Fostering deeper connections through intentional, informal social interactions
- Sharing professional development as a mutual responsibility between agency and employee