Evaluate your agency culture against common factors for high retention. "A great employer relationship is like a happy marriage," continues (Tom) Coyne. "If you're dedicated to the person the other end and you do certain things every day to show that, that's the bond that will keep the person there when others knock."

Ken Jacobs, principal at Jacobs Communications Consulting, a firm that helps agencies with staff performance and retention, agrees: "In my view, keeping staff from being poached is about keeping them happy." He thinks this is driven by the following seven critical factors:

1. Management that listens (e.g., surveys, one-on-one meetings, suggestion boxes)
   
   
2. Regular communications and feedback (e.g., reviews, thank you notes, good news alerts)
   
   
3. Involved staff (e.g., employees working on the business, not just in it)
   
   
4. Competitive compensation (incl. benefits tailored to generational preferences)
   
   
5. Clear agency vision (e.g., leadership, vision and values employees can buy into)
   
   
6. Training (i.e., millennials expect it as a point of entry)
   
   
7. Workplace fun (i.e., teamwork and friendship builds community and stems poaching)
   

Levy agrees: "Listening to what your employees need and want is key," she says. "What do they think they need to continue growing and learning and how can we deliver it to them? What are their greatest interests and areas of expertise? Always offering employees a wealth of opportunities to grow as professionals in an environment that supports this growth will give them little reason to pursue jobs at another agency."