John Ferguson
CHRO
NASCAR
Episode 253
Rethink Retention: Why Great Companies Are Now Great Places to Be From
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleMarch 27, 2025 · 9:50
Thesis
“Organizations must fundamentally rethink employee retention, evolving beyond simply being a great place to work to also becoming a great place to be 'from,' recognizing and valuing non-linear career paths and the advocacy of alumni.”
Show notes
What if your best retention outcome is an employee who leaves — and becomes your most passionate advocate? John Ferguson, CHRO at NASCAR, has built his entire people philosophy around that possibility.
John's framework splits the retention conversation in two: being a great place to work (the in-tenure experience) and being a great place to be from (the long-arc impact on careers and reputation). The second half is where most organizations have no strategy at all. If you genuinely invest in people's growth — through learning platforms, internal development programs like "NASCAR University," and honest career conversations — some of them will outgrow what you can offer internally. That's not a failure. That's a springboard. And the people who leave as advocates bring boomerang potential, referral networks, and brand credibility that retention-focused organizations never develop.
Managing HR across 20+ office and racetrack locations post-merger requires a different muscle: active listening at scale, customized approaches by location, and — critically — the discipline to actually act on what engagement surveys surface. John's line on feedback is worth repeating: you can't ask for people's opinions unless you plan to act on them. His closing advice on Gen Z is not a platitude. These are digital natives who will force the workforce to evolve, and the organizations that listen early will have a significant head start.
What you'll learn:
- The "great place to be from" framework — and why it's a competitive advantage, not a concession
- How NASCAR manages active listening and cultural cohesion across 20+ distributed locations
- How to close the feedback loop: acting on engagement survey data so employees know their voice mattered
- Adapting retention strategy for Gen Z's non-linear career expectations
- The "go to grow" philosophy: supporting employees who outpace internal progression opportunities
- Building a boomerang employee pipeline through alumni relationships
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What you'll take away
- 1Redefine retention to encompass being a 'great place to work' (while employees are present) and a 'great place to be from' (as a career springboard and source of alumni advocates).
- 2Prioritize active listening and leverage engagement survey platforms (like Culture Amp) to understand diverse employee experiences across all locations, especially after significant organizational changes.
- 3Invest in upskilling and learning platforms (e.g., internal 'NASCAR University,' LinkedIn Learning) to support employee growth, even if it means employees eventually move on and potentially return as 'boomerang employees.'
- 4Cultivate a flexible and agile HR approach that can be customized to meet the unique needs and 'nuance of character' of different office and operational locations, avoiding a one-size-fits-all mentality.
- 5Actively listen to and learn from Gen Z's perspective on work, as they are digital natives who will drive significant evolution in workplace norms and expectations.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Challenges the traditional view of retention focused solely on tenure, advocating for a model where employees leaving to grow can still be a positive outcome for the organization through alumni advocacy.
- •Promotes the idea of 'go to grow,' suggesting that limiting career progression within one company can hinder an employee's overall skill development, and encourages supporting employees in finding external opportunities.
In John's words
“Monumental was indeed a great place to work, but as I looked at pursuing other opportunities, that was when I really sat still and reflected on how it was a great place to be from because it became the springboard for my career.”
This quote introduces and exemplifies the central concept of being a 'great place to be from' as a foundational career experience.
“If you're a great place to work, naturally you should evolve to become a great place to be from. Because you were the springboard for that employee to take all that they learned at your place of employment, and they took that on to further their career.”
It articulates the logical progression from a positive current work environment to a valuable long-term career asset for the individual and the organization.
“But most importantly, Dave, you can't ask for people's opinions and feedback unless you plan to act on it. So we have a real commitment to action planning to ensure that employees know that their voice didn't go unheard.”
This emphasizes the critical importance of follow-through on employee feedback to build trust and demonstrate value.
“We want you to be here as long as it's a good time for you, as long as it's a good time for us and everybody's learning. But we also recognize there comes a point where your desire for progression in your career may outpace what's available internally.”
This quote candidly acknowledges the reality of career growth necessitating external moves while still valuing the employee's time at the company.
“Think about retention differently. It goes back to how I started this, and I believe that Gen Z is going to be an amazing group of contributors to the workforce, and they're gonna force us in some areas to think about some things differently.”
A direct and impactful call to action, highlighting the generational shift as a catalyst for re-evaluating long-held HR practices.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Outdated traditional retention models fail to account for the modern workforce's desire for varied experiences and non-linear career paths, especially among Gen Z and Millennials.
- •Ensuring cultural cohesion and meeting diverse employee needs across a geographically dispersed organization (20+ offices/racetracks) after a significant event like a merger.
- •Translating employee engagement survey feedback into tangible actions and improvements to demonstrate that employee voices are heard and valued, avoiding 'feedback fatigue'.
- •Providing sufficient learning, development, and career progression opportunities for employees whose growth aspirations may exceed internal availabilities, without losing talent permanently.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Davey Allison shares a little bit about his career with NASCAR
NASCAR Executive David Bowyer on His Career Journey
John: You previously discussed the importance of making an organization both
The Importance of Making an Organization a Great Place to Work and
With NASCAR's workforce spanning over 20 locations, how do you approach active listening
How NASCAR's HR Team Meets the Diversity of Its Team
Traditional views on employee retention are evolving with newer generations valuing varied experiences
NASCAR's Retention Strategy
As the CHRO of NASCAR, what are the challenges in creating a cohesive culture
NASCAR CHRO John Bowyer on Creating a cohesive Culture
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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