Q4 2025 Convening - The Crucial Role of Concrete Supports in Enhancing Job Retention
The Crucial Role of Concrete Supports in Enhancing Job Retention
TCGC's Spring 2026 Convening brought together regional partners to discuss human-centered job design, career navigation, and the power of collaboration in building a stronger workforce ecosystem. When organizations think about employee retention, they often focus on wages, benefits, career advancement, and workplace culture. While these factors certainly matter, there is another essential piece of the puzzle that is often overlooked: concrete support.
Concrete support is the resources that help individuals meet their basic needs, including food assistance, stable housing, and reliable transportation. For many workers, especially those facing economic hardship, these supports can mean the difference between keeping a job and losing one. As workforce development professionals continue to discover ways to strengthen retention, the role of concrete support deserves greater attention
The relationship between basic needs and job stability is straightforward: people perform better at work when they are not worrying about where their next meal will come from, whether they will be evicted, or how they will get to work tomorrow.
Employers are recognizing that supporting employees' basic needs is not just a social responsibility but a business strategy. Organizations that provide meal programs, transportation assistance, emergency funds, or connections to community resources often see improvements in employee loyalty, engagement, and retention.
Partnerships with community organizations and government agencies can increase access to support services. By connecting workers with available resources, employers can help address challenges before they become reasons for absence or resignation.
Research and case studies highlighted in the presentation demonstrate that these support initiatives can improve job retention while also improving employee well-being and satisfaction. These models provide valuable examples that organizations can adapt to their own workforce need.
Amy Story - United Way shared the resources that 211 offers. Available 24/7 by phone, online, and in multiple languages, 211 helps people overcome barriers that can make it hard to keep a job. 211 provides free, confidential connections to resources like food, housing, transportation, childcare, and utility assistance. In Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, United Way of Greater Cincinnati's 211 serves 11 counties and maintains a comprehensive database of local services.
More than just an information line, 211 connects people directly to support through resource navigation, referrals, and online tools. By helping workers access the resources they need, 211 supports employee stability, improves retention, and strengthens communities.
A key takeaway from this convening was that helping people succeed at work often starts with helping them meet their basic needs. Whether it's connecting someone to food, housing, transportation, or other essential resources, these supports can make a real difference in a person's ability to stay employed and thrive. By working together with organizations like Brighton Center and utilizing resources such as United Way's 211, employers and workforce partners can help remove barriers, support their employees, and build stronger workplaces and communities for everyone.
