Here we are again… the final stretch of the year. That weird-but-wonderful season where half the office is wrapping up projects, the other half is wrapping gifts, and everyone is mentally somewhere between “Let’s finish strong” and “Is it too early to turn my out-of-office on?”
But here’s the thing most people don’t realise:
December is one of the most powerful months of the entire year for retention. Not January. Not mid-year. December. Because while the business slows down, people think. And that reflection period is exactly where retention is either strengthened… or lost.
Let’s dig into how HR leaders can use this month as a strategic reset, not just to survive the new-year turnover wave, but to stop it before it starts.
December is the month employees decide whether they’re staying or going
January resignations don’t start in January. They start now. December is when people ask themselves:
• “Do I feel valued here?”
• “Do I see myself growing next year?”
• “Do I feel supported, especially in the tough moments?”
• “Is this the culture I want to stay i
And HR has a unique advantage right now:
Employees are more emotionally open, more reflective, and more honest in December than any other month.
If you lean in, really lean in, you can influence how they walk into the new year.
1. Bring back the human connection
Forget the formal town halls and stiff performance reviews. December is the time for real conversations.
Walk-and-talks. Coffee chats. Quick check-ins. Slack messages that start with “How are you holding up?”
This is where you learn:
• who feels stretched too thin
• who’s craving development
• who feels invisible
• who needs recognition
• who might be considering a move
People don’t need a grand retention strategy right now, they need to feel seen.
2. Recognise the wins (yes, even the small ones)
This is the most underrated (and most powerful) retention tool in December.
When people reflect on their year, recognition becomes emotional fuel. It validates the grind. It builds loyalty. It creates meaning. And it doesn’t have to be flashy.
A personalised message.
A shout-out from a leader.
A mention in a team meeting.
A handwritten note.
Recognition resets how people feel about the year behind them and the one ahead.
3. Fix the friction points now, not later
December is the perfect time to remove small, annoying, everyday barriers that quietly drive people mad. Because nothing pushes a person toward a recruiter faster than:
• outdated processes
• clunky approvals
• tools that drain their time
• policies that no longer make sense
• workload imbalances
These may feel small, but they shape someone’s daily experience more than salary ever could.
If you use December to eliminate friction, you change January entirely.
4. Use reflection to your advantage
Employees aren’t the only ones reflecting in December. HR leaders should too but deliberately.
Ask yourself:
• What did turnover teach us this year?
• Which teams felt burnout, and why?
• Which roles consistently feel under-supported?
• Where are the career development gaps?
• What did we ignore for too long?
• What should we normalise, and what should we stop tolerating?
Your January strategy gets 10x sharper when it’s informed by real reflection, not rushed reaction.
5. Don’t wait for January to talk about growth
This is one of the biggest retention mistakes organisations make. If you wait until performance reviews in February, it’s too late, your best talent has already taken recruiter calls.
December is the time to plant seeds like:
• “Let’s map out a development plan early next year.”
• “There are some exciting projects I’d love you to own.”
• “There’s leadership potential here, let’s build towards it.”
• “Let’s set up some new opportunities for you in Q1.”
You don’t need a full plan now.You just need to show a path. January resignations often happen because people couldn’t see one.
6. Reinforce culture when it matters most
Culture hits differently in December. This is the month where people feel the gap between:
• companies who live their values
and
• companies who print their values in a handbook and call it a day.
Use this time to show employees:
• empathy
• flexibility
• appreciation
• trust
• kindness
Because culture memory is real and December is when it solidifies.
7. Keep communication consistent (people read more than you think)
End-of-year updates.
Company wins.
Leadership messages.
Team highlights.
Success stories.
Wellbeing reminders.
Holiday hours.
People actually pay more attention in December because the usual corporate noise has died down.
Use this to reinforce belonging and clarity, two critical retention anchors.
8. Make wellbeing more than a buzzword
People are tired. They’re juggling deadlines, family, Christmas crowds, social events, and life.
This is when burnout peaks…quietly.
Consider:
• encouraging teams to actually take time off
• reducing unnecessary meetings
• pausing non-urgent projects
• making workloads manageable
• giving permission to unplug
Wellbeing isn’t a program. It’s a signal:
“We care about you as a human being, not just an employee.”
That signal keeps people.
The truth? Retention is won or lost before January
If you want to reduce turnover, January is too late. Offers get signed. Decisions get made. People move on. But December?
December gives you a chance to:
• repair
• reconnect
• recalibrate
• reinforce
• recognise
• re-energise
It’s the month that determines whether people walk into the new year feeling stretched… or supported.
Your end-of-year reset starts now
As an HR leader, you don’t need to overhaul your entire strategy before Christmas. You just need to be present, intentional, and human.Because at the end of the day, retention isn’t about programs or policies. It’s about people feeling valued where they are. And December is your moment to make that happen.
FutureYou | The Power To Connect
We’re more than a recruiter, we’re a boutique recruitment agency in Australia specialising in holistic talent solutions. Our services span Specialist Recruitment, Contracting, Executive Search, and Talent Advisory, giving businesses and professionals the power to connect in ways that drive lasting growth.
