key takeaway
"Pivot talents" (with 20% of employees reportedly generating 80% of productivity gains, according to McKinsey) concentrate tacit knowledge and act as a human connective tissue; their departure creates a shock that is both operational and cultural, and is often underestimated. Conversely, some underperforming employees can hold a team back, and their departure can actually be a relief. Rather than trying to retain everyone, companies should limit invisible dependencies and transfer knowledge before departures occur, in order to build more resilient teams.
Not a media “star,” but a key employee: the one who holds tacit knowledge, connects teams, and smooths collaboration flows. When they leave, an entire ecosystem can become unbalanced. According to McKinsey (2024), 20% of employees generate 80% of productivity gains. But reliance on these critical profiles is becoming a major risk, especially in mid-sized organizations.
These “pivot talents” concentrate expertise, networks, and internal legitimacy. Their loss creates a dual shock: operational and cultural. The second is often underestimated. Beyond operational disruption, what disappears is also the human glue. Internal social capital has a reconstruction cost.
The reverse effect also exists: some employees, charismatic but low-performing, can significantly slow down collective productivity. Their departure can sometimes unlock performance. In a world where AI is automating tasks (ℎ), real value is shifting toward the ability to train others, share knowledge, learn quickly, and support continuous transformation.
Companies must think of their teams as living ecosystems:
- Identify individuals who circulate energy versus those who block it (can AI soon measure this?)
- Reduce invisible dependencies on certain employees
- Treat mobility as a normal parameter and anticipate it accordingly
Thus, the question is no longer only: “How do we retain them?” but rather: “How do we transfer their value before they leave?” True organizational resilience does not lie in retaining talent at all costs, but in making the organization itself robust to departures.