Your firm has made the right investment in associate growth and development. But if retention remains a concern, the problem isn’t whether you’re offering enough opportunities—it’s whether those opportunities are delivering real value to both your associates and the firm.

Step 1: Gather Data & Uncover Key Insights

When retention challenges arise, it’s tempting to add more programs—more training, more mentorship, more initiatives. But without first understanding what’s actually driving turnover, this approach is costly, inefficient, and ineffective.

Before making any changes, take a step back and get a clear, objective picture of what’s working—and what’s not. This means asking the right questions to the right people:

✔ Firm Leadership – What are the biggest frustrations with associate retention and development? Where do they feel time and resources are being wasted?

✔ Firm Administrators – How well do current development programs align with leadership’s expectations? Where do they see engagement or resistance?

✔ Current Associates – What do they really need to feel supported in their careers? Which development opportunities feel valuable, and which feel like a box-checking exercise?

✔ Former Associates – Why did they leave? Did professional development (or lack of it) play a role in their decision? What insights can they share to help the firm improve?

This data-driven assessment eliminates guesswork, aligns firm leadership on priorities, and ensures that retention efforts move forward with a strategic, unified plan that delivers impact.

Step 2: Identify Key Gaps in Professional Development

Many firms assume that offering professional development is enough to drive retention. But if associates are still leaving, there’s a disconnect.

A deep assessment often uncovers critical gaps, such as:

❌ Generic training that doesn’t align with career progression. If professional development feels like a one-size-fits-all approach, associates won’t see how it benefits them.

❌ Unclear advancement paths. Associates don’t just want training—they want a clear vision of how their professional development connects to long-term success at the firm.

❌ Misaligned expectations. Leadership and associates often have different views on what professional development should accomplish, leading to frustration on both sides.

❌ No clear measure of success. If time and resources are invested without tracking impact, there’s no way to improve—or prove—effectiveness.

This isn’t about offering more programs—it’s about realigning what already exists to ensure it actually supports retention goals.

Step 3: Refine, Don’t Reinvent

Fixing retention through professional development doesn’t mean starting over or throwing more money at new initiatives. It means making what you already have more strategic, measurable, and impactful.

Here’s how:

✔ Clarify leadership’s goals and frustrations. What’s working? What’s missing? What do partners believe is impacting retention?

✔ Make development opportunities strategic and measurable. If you can’t track whether a program impacts retention, engagement, or career growth, you can’t improve it.

✔ Ensure associates see a long-term future at the firm. Development programs should reinforce clear career paths, not just provide training for training’s sake.

Your Next Step as a Leader

You’ve already done the right thing by investing in professional development. Now, it’s time to make sure it actually drives retention, engagement, and the long-term success of your firm.

🔹 Are your professional development initiatives keeping your best attorneys engaged—or simply checking a box?
🔹 How can you turn development into a reason associates stay and grow with your firm?

If you’re ready to transform professional development into a powerful retention strategy, let’s talk.