Building Depth, Not Ladders: Retention Lessons for Flat Teams

Turnover in adult social care remains a significant challenge across the UK, with sector wide rates reaching 24.2% ¹. High emotional and physical demands, wellbeing pressures and limited progression opportunities, particularly in flat organisational structures, continue to influence retention across the sector ². At Little Oldway, a residential care and service home, these dynamics prompted a deeper look into what shapes employees’ decisions to stay or leave. 

To support this analysis, Joseph Knowles, Head of People Operations and a Senior People Professional Degree Apprenticeship student at the University of Exeter, led an organisational deep dive that integrated staff perspectives with academic theory to uncover development pathways suited to a flat structure. 

Contextual Factors That Shaped the Investigation 

Several features made Little Oldway an especially interesting case. As a flat organisation (i.e., one with very few hierarchical layers and levels of management), opportunities for upward career movement are inherently limited, making it necessary to rethink development beyond traditional progressional opportunities. 

Drawing on the academic literature used in Little Oldway’s investigation, several evidence-based recommendations emerged from the organisational audit. This involved an analysis of attrition, and pulse survey that identified both push and pull factors driving retention.  

What was found was that employees demonstrated strong relational motivations, consistent with the caring nature of the sector, where interpersonal connection and meaningful work are central to job fulfilment. Furthermore, data suggested that although staff felt well trained, they lacked formalised development of soft skills highlighting an opportunity to build structures that support depth and employees’ affiliation needs, not hierarchy. As the publicly funded sector is faced with tight budgetary constraints, there is an opportunity for cost control through making improvements to retention. 

Take away messages from the audit: 

1. Redefine progression as deepening expertise, not moving upward

Employees in flat structures cannot progress hierarchically, so development must come from within the role. Evidence shows that expanding social interaction and building deeper relational ties increases engagement³. 

Action items for organisations: 

• • Developmental discussions and coaching programmes can be a useful tool for this. They provide breath from sharing of practice and sharing of tacit knowledge within role. 

2. Adopt an inclusive talent management philosophy

Inclusive Talent Management argues that every employee deserves access to meaningful development. Exclusive approaches—focused only on “highpotential” individuals—can create perceptions of unfairness and weaken belonging, particularly in flat structures ⁵. 

Action items for organisations: 

• • Improve communication through the active identification of training and development opportunities, by maximising review opportunities both through the appraisal, supervision and performance management frameworks.  

3. Prioritise mentoring and coaching—especially for affiliation-motivated staff

In relational sectors like care, employees often have high Need for Affiliation ⁶, valuing connection, supportive feedback and interpersonal relationships. Mentoring and coaching meet these psychological needs and strengthen satisfaction, confidence and retention (7). 

Action items for organisations: 

• • Establish a structured mentoring scheme pairing experienced staff with newer team members. 

• • Train supervisors in coaching style conversations (reflective listening, developmental questioning).  

By combining organisational insight with theory, Little Oldway has begun shaping a mentoring based approach that aligns with its flat structure and commitment to people—demonstrating that career development does not require hierarchy, only intention. 

 

References

1. Skills for Care. (2025, October 15). Latest social care sector and workforce data published. Available at: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news-and-events/news/latest-social-care-sector-and-workforce-data-published  
2. Care Quality Commission. (2025). The state of health and adult social care in England 2024/25. Care Quality Commission. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-health-and-adult-social-care-in-england-2024-to-2025  
3. Bruning, P. F., & Campion, M. A. (2018). A role–resource approach–avoidance model of job crafting: A multimethod integration and extension of job crafting theory. Academy of Management Journal, 61(2), 499-522. doi.org/10.5465/amj.2015.0604  
4. Pfeffer, J. (2001). Fighting the war for talent is hazardous to your organization’s health. Organizational Dynamics. doi.org/10.1016/S0090-2616(01)00031-6 
5. Silzer, R., and Church, A. H. (2009). The pearls and perils of identifying potential. Industrial and organizational psychology, 2(⁴), 377-412. doi:10.1111/j.1754-9434.2009.01163.x 
6. McClelland, D.C. (1961) The achieving society. Princeton, N.J: Van Nostrand. 
7. Rezaei F & Beyerlein M (2018), “Talent development: a systematic literature review of empirical studies”. European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 42 No. 1-2 pp. 75–90, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-09-2017-0076