As the working-age population declines and changing jobs has become increasingly common, employee retention has become an important management challenge for many organizations.

When employee retention is discussed, the focus is often placed on company policies, compensation, and working conditions. However, the everyday words and interactions of colleagues, managers, and senior employees can also have a significant impact on whether employees feel that they want to remain with an organization. For younger employees in particular, whose values and expectations around work are changing rapidly, everyday recognition and psychological safety can play an important role in their desire to stay.

Against this background, this assessment was developed as a self-check tool to help you reflect on how effectively you support the retention of colleagues and less-experienced team members around you. The next section, “② Review of Previous Research,” explains the perspectives used to assess these skills.

The following previous research was reviewed in developing this assessment.

Among the various theories of motivation, this assessment adopts Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs as its conceptual foundation for organizing factors related to employee retention. There are three main reasons for this choice. First, the hierarchy of needs presents an intuitive developmental sequence from physiological needs to self-actualization, making the structure relatively easy for users to understand when reviewing their results.

Second, the framework provides a broad range of needs that can be naturally connected to everyday management and interpersonal behaviors, from attention to an employee’s physical well-being to support for their personal growth and self-actualization. Third, theories discussed below, including those of House, Edmondson, and Deci and Ryan, can be positioned as complementary perspectives that address specific levels of need, such as safety, belonging, and self-actualization. This makes it possible to integrate these theoretical perspectives in a coherent framework.

Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this assessment evaluates six areas, progressing from attention to an employee’s physical well-being to support for their self-actualization.

【Six Areas and 24 Items】

① Attention to Physical Well-Being: Are you able to notice changes in an employee’s fatigue or physical condition and check in with them?
② Psychological Safety: Are you creating an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up, asking for help, and discussing concerns?
③ Proactive Support: Are you able to proactively offer help when someone is struggling?
④ Rapport Building: Are you building trusting relationships through everyday interactions?
⑤ Recognition and Positive Feedback: Are you able to recognize employees’ efforts and achievements and express your appreciation in words?
⑥ Support for Personal Growth and Fulfillment: Are you able to support employees in their professional growth and career development?

The assessment results explain “what you are already doing well” and “where there is room for further development” in each area. Use the results as an opportunity to reflect on how you interact with your team members.

Maslow (1943) [1]
Maslow proposed the hierarchy of needs, consisting of physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. He suggested that lower-level needs generally need to be sufficiently satisfied before higher-level needs become more salient. In this assessment, this hierarchical structure is reflected in the ordering of the factors, from “① Attention to Physical Well-Being” to “⑥ Support for Personal Growth and Fulfillment.”

House (1981) [2]
House’s social support theory describes how support from others, including instrumental and emotional support, can help reduce stress and contribute to positive outcomes in the workplace. In this assessment, these perspectives are reflected in the design of “① Attention to Physical Well-Being” and “③ Proactive Support.”

Edmondson (1999) [3]
Edmondson’s research on psychological safety demonstrated the importance of an environment in which people can take interpersonal risks, such as speaking up, asking for help, and acknowledging mistakes. Psychological safety supports team learning and effective collaboration. In this assessment, these findings are reflected in the design of “② Psychological Safety.”

Deci & Ryan (2000) [4]
Self-Determination Theory proposes that the fulfillment of three basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—supports intrinsic motivation and positive engagement. In this assessment, these perspectives are reflected in the design of “④ Rapport Building” and “⑥ Support for Personal Growth and Fulfillment.”

Gallup (Employee Engagement Survey, Q12) [5]
Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey includes the question of whether employees have received recognition for doing good work recently. Recognition and positive feedback are important components of employee engagement and are associated with retention-related outcomes. In this assessment, this perspective is reflected in the design of “⑤ Recognition and Positive Feedback.”

The assessment items were developed through brainstorming sessions involving licensed psychologists, organizational psychology researchers, and corporate HR professionals. The ideas were then grouped using the KJ Method, reviewed and refined, and used to develop the final assessment items.

Employee retention depends not only on company policies and systems, but also on everyday interactions. Drawing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this assessment focuses on the following six areas when developing its items.

・Attention to Physical Well-Being (Physiological Needs)
　Being able to notice changes in an employee’s fatigue or physical condition and show concern

・Psychological Safety (Safety Needs)
　Creating an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up, asking for help, and making mistakes

・Proactive Support (Safety to Belonging Needs)
　Taking the initiative to check in and offer support when someone is struggling

・Rapport Building (Belonging and Love Needs)
　Building trusting relationships through everyday conversations and interactions

・Recognition and Positive Feedback (Esteem Needs)
　Noticing employees’ efforts and achievements and expressing recognition in words

・Support for Personal Growth and Fulfillment (Self-Actualization Needs)
　Supporting employees in their personal growth and career development

As a result, six factors were established, with four items for each factor, for a total of 24 assessment items. Unlike the Harassment Risk Assessment, this assessment is designed so that higher scores indicate more positive results.

【① Attention to Physical Well-Being】

Notice changes in an employee’s fatigue from their facial expression or voice
Ask someone who seems busy, “Are you doing okay?”
Encourage someone who appears to be overexerting themselves to take a break
Check in later with someone who appears to be unwell


【② Psychological Safety】

Avoid dismissing someone’s opinion outright
Let employees know, “You can come to me anytime if you need to talk.”
Respond positively to people who make mistakes rather than blaming them
Speak calmly without raising your voice

【③ Proactive Support】

Approach and help someone who appears to be struggling
Offer necessary support before being asked
Respond promptly when someone asks for help, even when busy
Offer assistance to someone who appears to be overwhelmed

【④ Rapport Building】

Make time for casual conversations unrelated to work
Show interest in what others say and remember what they have shared
Take the initiative to greet people and check in with them
Use people’s names regularly during conversations

【⑤ Recognition and Positive Feedback】

Put employees’ efforts and achievements into words
Notice and praise even small signs of growth
Express appreciation regularly
Consciously communicate what you value about an employee’s strengths and positive qualities

【⑥ Support for Personal Growth and Fulfillment】

Make opportunities to talk about an employee’s career goals
Encourage employees who express an interest in taking on new challenges
Give employees opportunities to take on new tasks or responsibilities
Listen to employees’ preferences and accommodate them when reasonably possible

・Number of Items: 6 factors × 4 items = 24 items
・5-Point Rating Scale
Not at all　　　　　　　 0 points
Rarely　　　　　　　　　1 point
Neither agree nor disagree　2 points
Often　　　　　　　　　 3 points
Very often　　　　　　　 4 points

※This assessment measures strengths related to employee retention. Unlike the Harassment Risk Assessment, higher scores indicate more positive results.

・Criteria for Each Factor (4 items, maximum 16 points)
0–9 points: Employee Retention Skills — Low
10–13 points: Employee Retention Skills — Moderate
14–16 points: Employee Retention Skills — High

・Overall Assessment Criteria (24 items, maximum 96 points)
0–42 points: Employee Retention Skills — Very Low
43–58 points: Employee Retention Skills — Low
59–74 points: Employee Retention Skills — Standard
75–96 points: Employee Retention Skills — High

・Note: Variation Within Each Factor
Because each factor consists of only four items, if a particular item receives an unusually low or high score, we recommend reviewing the individual item as well as the factor’s overall score.

The assessment results are evaluated for each type, with approximately 1,000 words of explanation covering its characteristics and areas for further development. The content is based on previous research and the practical experience of the assessment developers. Unlike the Harassment Risk Assessment, which focuses on “awareness of potential risks,” this assessment focuses on “recognizing and developing strengths.” Therefore, even when a factor receives a low score, the feedback is written in a constructive and encouraging tone, focusing on practical next steps rather than simply pointing out weaknesses.

Because the six factors correspond to the hierarchical structure of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the results page may benefit from visualizing the results not only with simple horizontal bar charts but also with a pyramid-style representation showing which levels are well supported. In particular, when scores for the lower levels (① Attention to Physical Well-Being / ② Psychological Safety) are low, the feedback should prioritize encouraging users to strengthen these foundations before focusing on higher-level areas such as ⑤ Recognition and ⑥ Personal Growth and Fulfillment.

This assessment has not undergone statistical testing of its factor structure, reliability, or validity. It was developed based on professional review and expert consideration. Please note that its statistical evidence is limited and that it should not be considered a psychometric scale suitable for academic or scientific research.

In addition, this assessment is based on self-reported responses and is not designed to predict or guarantee actual employee turnover rates or intentions to leave. Individual results should be used as an opportunity for self-reflection and behavioral improvement. For organizations considering comprehensive employee retention initiatives, we recommend conducting additional assessments, such as employee engagement surveys, as appropriate.

[1] Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
[2] House, J. S. (1981). Work Stress and Social Support. Addison-Wesley.
[3] Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.
[4] Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.
[5] Gallup. Various publications on the Q12 employee engagement survey.