When it comes to loyalty at work everyone assumes it flows upwards like in the military. Loyalty to team, department, company is not right. Corporate loyalty actually flows downward, it’s a reflection of an excellent culture.

How does this express itself? Managers look out for their directs, not just to enable them to get their most impactful work done, but actively advocating for them. Making sure their careers are growing at a steady cadence, holding them accountable for that and making sure they have the capacity (during working hours!) to work on their own development. This means that you proactively work on their promotions and raises. This also means you are supportive when their growth at the company stagnates and they should probably look elsewhere by offering references and even helping them find new opportunities.

One of my favorite anecdotes come from an SDE at Netflix (I wish I could remember where I read it so I can give proper credit), whose boss entered his room and told him he was getting a raise. Someone else had negotiated a higher starting salary for themselves at their level and so they were raising everyone’s salary to match.

This seems counter-intuitive from a corporate perspective, because you are deliberately paying more for an employee than strictly necessary and then when they reach their peak utility you don’t hinder their leaving, but in reality holistically it will benefit everyone involved.

HR brand is a thing and a company culture where the people are celebrated and helped to excel will attract more talent. These two attributes are likely going to be part of a broader culture that attracts talent, but even if it isn’t, it does check two of the main goals people want from their jobs: competitive compensation and growth opportunities.

This doesn’t mean you don’t share bad news, or hold the team to high standards. Sometimes you do need to be clear to be kind, and that can include when you believe an employee is no longer a good fit for the company. In these situations, again, how you handle this situation matters so much more than avoiding it.