Retaining Mid-Career Talent: Strategies for CHROs, CPOs, and Chief Talent Officers

 By Tony Cinello, Founder – Anthony Andrew

Executive Summary

Mid-career professionals used to be the bedrock of leadership pipelines. Now, they’re one of the biggest flight risks.

Across the $25M to $1.5B companies I work with—especially those in healthcare, IT, and PE-backed growth environments—I’m seeing a major shift: professionals with 10–20 years of experience are walking away from high-paying roles in search of something more meaningful.

The reasons? Lack of purpose, minimal development, and leadership teams that assume retention is automatic once compensation is locked in.

In this article, I break down what CHROs, CPOs, and Chief Talent Officers can do right now to keep mid-career leaders engaged—before the cost of losing them hits your bottom line.

The Mid-Career Exodus Is Real

Let’s start with the facts.

According to a recent study from McKinsey, over 40% of mid-career professionals are actively considering leaving their roles, even without a clear next step (McKinsey & Company, 2023). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that voluntary quit rates for professionals aged 35–49 rose 18% year-over-year in 2024, a higher increase than any other cohort (BLS, 2025).

Why are they leaving?

• Stalled growth opportunities – No path to C-suite or strategic visibility

• Misaligned values – Desire for purpose, flexibility, and culture fit

• Overload without meaning – Many are doing more with less—without clarity on why

And in industries like healthcare and IT, where burnout meets bureaucracy, the pressure is even greater.

Why Mid-Career Talent Matters (More Than You Think)

These are the professionals who:

• Run your business behind the scenes

• Mentor the next generation of leaders

• Hold deep institutional knowledge

• Provide operational leverage to the C-suite

  
  

When they leave, you lose more than output—you lose momentum.

In a mid-sized firm, replacing a seasoned mid-career leader can cost between 1.5x–2x their annual salary, factoring in onboarding time, lost continuity, and hiring resources (SHRM, 2024).

What CHROs and CPOs Can Do Now

Based on what we’re seeing in the field—and supporting through executive search and leadership advisory—here’s what’s working:

1. Design Roles with Purpose, Not Just Productivity

Mid-career leaders want to know how their work contributes to the big picture. Show them:

• How their KPIs connect to company mission

• Where their expertise impacts customer outcomes

• What innovation or transformation they can lead

Pro Tip: During the executive search process, we’ve seen purpose-aligned role descriptions result in a 22% increase in offer acceptance among mid-career professionals (LinkedIn Talent Insights, 2024).

2. Create Visible Growth Pathways

Many of these leaders feel stuck between “not ready for C-suite” and “too senior for lateral moves.” Break the bottleneck:

• Develop clear role progression beyond people management

• Offer rotation into strategic task forces or high-visibility projects

• Provide coaching and executive education stipends

  
  

3. Flexibility is a Retention Strategy

This isn’t just a post-pandemic trend. It’s a permanent filter.

• Remote/hybrid options tailored to role scope

• Sabbatical programs after 10+ years of tenure

• “Returnships” for professionals re-entering leadership tracks

  
  

4. Re-recruit Your Top Performers

Don’t wait until your best people give notice. Treat them like you would a high-potential candidate:

• Conduct internal “stay interviews” every 6 months

• Revisit compensation and responsibilities proactively

• Communicate how their career path is evolving in real time

  
  

The Recruiter’s Take

In my work with mid-market CHROs and talent leaders, I’m often brought in after the fact—after a key Director, VP, or Principal walks out the door. But the truth is, the best companies don’t just partner with search firms to fill seats. They partner with us to understand why talent leaves, and how to prevent it.

We use market data, behavioral insights, and strategic feedback loops to guide not just who you hire—but how you keep them.

If your leadership bench is feeling thinner than it should, this isn’t a pipeline problem. It’s a retention problem. And it starts with understanding what your mid-career talent really wants.

Conclusion

The war for talent isn’t just at the top. It’s in the middle.

Mid-career professionals are more empowered, more mobile, and more values-driven than ever before. Retaining them requires more than perks or ping-pong tables—it takes purpose, planning, and personalization.

If you want help shaping roles your talent won’t outgrow—or need a sounding board on where you’re losing them—I’m here to help.

Because when mid-career talent walks, momentum goes with them.

—

Tony Cinello Founder | Anthony Andrew Retained Executive Search | Leadership Advisory

References (APA Format)

• McKinsey & Company. (2023). The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools? Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-great-attrition-is-making-hiring-harder

• SHRM. (2024). Cost of Replacing Employees. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/cost-of-replacing-employees.aspx

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Summary – February 2025. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm

• LinkedIn Talent Insights. (2024). The Changing Expectations of Mid-Career Professionals. Internal report (referenced data)