Marcella Vail offers a different perspective on millennials and Gen Z, providing a more practical way to build talent in a job-hopping era.
In a Hiring for Good podcast conversation, executive leader Marcella Vail offers a different framework: if newer generations don’t stick around for long, a leader’s job isn’t to shame the pattern, it’s to build capability quickly, expect movement, and treat each role as a meaningful chapter in someone’s career story. In her words, it’s “destigmatized leaving,” with an expectation that people will “go get that next amazing role” and carry what they learned into their next team.
Most complaints about millennials and Gen Z boil down to one underlying belief: tenure equals commitment. When someone leaves in 18 – 30 months, it is easy to characterize them as flaky, ungrateful, or impatient. The common criticisms could be masking something else entirely. “They want promotions too fast” is frequently shorthand for employees who ask early and openly what real growth looks like. “They won’t pay their dues” often reflects a willingness to question busywork, vague expectations, or processes justified only by tradition. “They aren’t loyal” usually signals people optimizing for learning, stability, and well-being, especially after witnessing layoffs and restructuring up close. And “they’re hard to manage” is often less about difficulty and more about expectations: regular feedback, coaching, and transparency instead of a default “figure it out” leadership style.
There are real performance issues in every generation, and a short tenure can create real operational pain. However, that narrative misses a key shift: in many fields, job movement isn’t a failure; it’s the market’s new career design, shaped by accelerating skill cycles, flatter organizations, and employees’ lived experience that “staying” doesn’t always protect them.
When Marcella describes what “hiring for good” means to her, she treats retention as an outcome, not the purpose. She talks about “hiring folks…for life” in the sense of relationship and network, even if they leave. The goal is to create strong teams and strong organizations that ultimately strengthen communities, with people taking what they learn and “helping that next organization.”
This is a sharp contrast to the traditional instinct to measure success by longevity alone. Marcella acknowledges the “old school” mindset where retention is the scoreboard, but suggests a more current metric: did this person leave more capable than when they arrived? If the answer is yes, then even a departure can be evidence of leadership, not failure.
What this gets right about millennials and Gen Z
- They treat learning as compensation. Pay matters, but so does skill acquisition, mentorship, and resume momentum. If growth stalls, they move.
- They’re pragmatic about institutions. Many entered the workforce amid recession, pandemic disruption, and public layoffs. “Loyalty” feels one-sided when stability is uncertain.
- They want transparency early. Questions about career path, feedback cadence, and values fit aren’t necessarily entitlement; they’re risk management.
- They build careers in chapters. Marcella’s “moment in time” framing matches how many early-career professionals already think: project-based, portable skills, expanding networks.
5 ways managers can lead in a job-hopping era without giving up on retention
- Lay out the skills acquisition expectations. In the first month, align on two lists: what the role needs from them, and what they should be able to do better in 6 – 12 months because of the role.
- Coach like you expect a graduation. Marcella’s stance, “I expect you to go get that next amazing role”, doesn’t mean pushing people out. It means building a rhythm of feedback, stretch work, and visibility so they are genuinely progressing.
- Design roles with portable outputs. Give employees ownership of deliverables they can point to, such as process improvements, playbooks, and measurable results.
- Normalize career conversations. Ask them what they want to be learning right now and what would make this role feel like a great chapter?
- Reframe “retention” as a relationship. If someone leaves, keep the bridge intact. Alumni become referral sources, clients, boomerang hires, and reputation builders.
It is much simpler to label the problem “kids these days” and move on. Marcella Vail’s perspective is harder and more useful. It asks leaders to accept today’s career reality and respond with better management, including clearer purpose, stronger coaching, and faster skill-building.
Yes, organizations need continuity, and employees have responsibilities, too. But when leaders shift the goal from “make them stay” to “help them grow”, they often get a surprising side effect: people stay longer because they’re growing. And when they do leave, they leave as advocates carrying your culture forward into the wider professional web.
Check out the full interview with Marcella at https://www.acumenexecutivesearch.com/hiring-for-good-ep-8-marcella-vail/.
Acumen Executive Search has extensive experience in helping guide organizations through planning successful transitions. Additionally, Acumen collaborates with specialists in change management, assessments, coaching, and culture transformation. These partnerships strengthen leadership pipelines and organizational resilience.
Acumen Executive Search is an award-winning search firm with a 93% placement retention rate over three years. We specialize in placing leaders who align with your company’s mission, values, and long-term goals.