At the beginning of every year, I take a closer look at our team data – not because something is wrong, but because growth deserves reflection.
Over the past three years, Impact Hub Vienna Group has gone through a significant growth phase. We more than doubled our team size, growing from 30 people to around 70 across the group. Anyone who has ever scaled an organisation knows what that usually brings with it: more onboarding, more change – and inevitably, more people leaving.
That’s the moment when uncomfortable questions tend to pop up: Is our retention still healthy? Are people burning out? Are we losing too many good ones?
To answer those questions properly, it wasn’t enough to look at just the last year or two. So I zoomed out and looked at 15 years of data, across all entities of Impact Hub Vienna Group, from 2010 to 2025. Not at anecdotes. Not at gut feeling. But at long-term patterns – and at how the last, very intense growth phase compares to everything that came before.
What I found was reassuring, humbling – and surprisingly energising.
The shape of retention over time
Retention has remained stable despite rapid growth. Year over year, an overwhelming majority of the team stays on, multi-year continuity remains strong, and a steady long-term core continues to anchor the organisation as it scales.
There is a noticeable drop between the first and the second year. After that, the curve flattens. Once people have been around for roughly two years, the likelihood of leaving decreases significantly.
In practical terms, this means two things: most people who join us stay long enough to contribute meaningfully, and those who move beyond the early consolidation phase are much more likely to stay for the long run.
What this tells me about working here
Let me be very clear about one thing: This is not a story of “how to retain everyone forever.” It’s a story about fit, growth, and conscious decisions – on both sides.
Our strong 1-year retention tells me that our hiring, onboarding, and role clarity work. People don’t join and immediately realise they made a mistake.
The more interesting phase happens later: between 12 and 24 months, something shifts. People move from being “new joiners” to established contributors. Expectations change. Questions about development, scope, leadership, and long-term alignment become real.
Some people decide: Yes, this is where I want to anchor myself. Others decide: I’ve learned a lot here, and now it’s time for something else. And honestly? That’s not a failure. That’s maturity.
Not every role (or every phase) is meant to last forever
One important insight from the analysis is that retention looks different across our organisation – by design.
Core functions (e.g. Finance) show very high long-term retention. These roles anchor institutional knowledge, relationships, and continuity. More delivery-oriented units – across all our locations and initiatives – naturally show more movement. They are places to learn fast, try things out, and grow into the next step.
Expecting identical retention everywhere would actually be a misunderstanding of how we work. Stability and mobility are not opposites here. They coexist.
Leadership stability matters – and it shows
Another strong signal: leadership retention is very high. Across all our retention metrics, leadership roles show significantly higher anchoring than non-leadership roles.
This gives the organisation something incredibly important during growth: continuity, trust, and long-term responsibility.
At the same time, it allows flexibility and renewal across the broader team.
That balance didn’t happen by accident – and it’s something we consciously protect.
Movement doesn’t always mean goodbye
One pattern stands out clearly in the data: people come back.
We see multiple cases of team members leaving and later returning – in different roles, different entities, or different phases of their lives. That tells a deeper story than simple turnover. It suggests that working here is often part of a longer relationship, shaped by shared values and mutual trust, rather than a one-off, transactional stop.
And even for those who don’t return as employees, many stay connected – joining our annual Alumni Brunch, where former team members come together again over food and stories, or showing up at our summer and winter parties. People can move on without losing their sense of belonging, and sometimes that connection turns into a new chapter later on.
To me, that says something important about what holds this place together.
So what are we actually working on?
The data makes one thing clear: Our biggest opportunity is not “retaining everyone longer.” It’s supporting transitions better – especially in that 12–24 month window.
This includes making development paths more visible, talking earlier about future options, and building real internal mobility instead of relying on informal networks.
But let me be direct here: we are not there yet. We hear the feedback, often and clearly, that people still lack visibility around career paths, development opportunities, and how to navigate growth internally.
This is something we are actively working on – including through our development talks, through clearer documentation, and through more intentional conversations about progression and mobility.
In short: the goal is not to promise linear career ladders, but to give people real clarity so they can make good decisions – whether those decisions lead deeper into the organisation or outward into the ecosystem.
If you’re considering joining us
Here’s my honest message: Impact Hub Vienna Group is not for everyone. It’s a place with ambition, complexity, and constant change.
But if you’re looking for a place where learning is real, responsibility comes early, and your growth is taken seriously – even if it eventually leads you elsewhere, then this might be exactly the right stop on your journey.
And if you stay longer? Even better.
Jakob Detering is our Managing Director, leading the portfolio of Impact Hub, Climate Lab, Future Health Lab, and Education Lab. A recognized impact entrepreneur and organization builder, Jakob also has been a key driving force in transforming the Social Impact Award into the world’s leading community of early-stage social entrepreneurs. He brings extensive experience in scaling social ventures and driving systemic change across Europe and beyond.
Titelbild: Amina Steiner