How to Attract and Keep Great People (Without Breaking the Bank)
If you're a founder, operator, or HR lead, you've probably felt it: hiring is hard, keeping great people is even harder, and expensive mistakes are everywhere.
Let’s start with the numbers:
“Hire slow, fire fast” might sound catchy, but in reality, slow hiring and fast turnover can tank your business.”
The average cost to hire a new employee is $4,700, according to SHRM, but once you factor in lost productivity, onboarding, and training time, that number can exceed $15,000 per employee.
Companies with high turnover spend up to 20% of an employee’s annual salary just to replace them, and that number goes up for higher-skilled roles.
70% of employees say that benefits are a major factor in staying at a job, and more than half say they’d leave for one with better benefits.
80% of employees who are satisfied with their benefits say they’re loyal to their employer.
💬“People don’t quit jobs - they quit broken systems. Benefits are part of the system.”
So what happens when you don’t retain your best people?
Institutional knowledge walks out the door.
Team morale takes a hit.
You lose momentum, culture, and often… more people.
Productivity dips while you scramble to hire and onboard replacements.
“Most folks don't leave because they're underpaid, but because they're under-supported. Great benefits fix more than you think." - Lani Rosales, Founder of Austin Digital Jobs
The takeaway? Retention isn’t just about perks; it’s a business strategy.
How to Keep the People You Have
Retention doesn’t just happen. You have to design for it.
Here are a few smart starting points:
Clarity: Define career paths, offer regular feedback, and show your team what’s next.
Culture: Invest in leadership, not just social hours—culture sticks when people feel valued and heard.
Flexibility: Remote work, hybrid schedules, and mental health days aren't luxuries; they’re expectations.
Compensation: That means salary and benefits. This is where many small businesses fall short.
💡“If you’re not offering real benefits, someone else is…. and your best people know it.”
Benefits: The Retention Superpower You’re Underestimating
Still offering the bare minimum or nothing at all? You’re competing in the wrong league.
Modern employees want:
✅ Medical, dental, vision
✅ Mental health coverage
✅ Flexible spending or HSA accounts
✅ Paid leave and parental benefits
✅ Supplemental and voluntary benefits
✅ A clear, easy-to-understand enrollment process
And they want it without having to ask.
But here’s the good news: You don’t need a Fortune 500 budget to offer Fortune 500-level benefits.
This Is Where JAM Benefits Comes In
“Good benefits used to be a flex. Now, they're just the floor. If you're not offering something real, you're handing your best talent to someone who is” - Lani Rosales, Founder of Austin Digital Jobs
At JAM Benefits, we help small and mid-sized businesses compete for talent—without breaking the bank.
We’re a modern brokerage built for the realities of today’s workforce. That means:
🧰 Custom, flexible benefit strategies based on your goals and budget
🌿 Affordable, high-value options like ICHRA, level-funded plans, and zero-cost voluntary coverage
💻 Branded digital enrollment portals that make your company look as legit as it is
🧠 Clear, honest advice without the jargon (or the old-school sales tactics)
Whether you’ve got 3 employees or 300, we’ll help you build a benefits package that attracts top talent and keeps your best people right where they belong—on your team.
🎯 “Benefits don’t have to be expensive. They just have to be smart.”
Ready to stop losing talent to companies with better benefits? Let’s fix that.
👉🏼 Schedule some time to chat with us here!
PS: We’re highlighting ADJ as part of a mutual (non-paid) promotion between our teams.
