Talent Tuesday: The Unremovable Stain: High Turnover
How to Prevent It and Fix it If You Notice It Happening
The Climate Talent Playbook
Helping Climate Founders Build & Retain Teams that Win — and Solve Climate Change
Just got back from my Nashville trip last weekend. Feels good to be back in my normal routine, with my actual desk setup. Less time hunched over my Mac on a couch. Good for me, bad for my chiropractor.
In Today’s Issue:
👉 The Unremovable Stain: High Turnover
👉 Jobs We’re Working On
👉 Word on the Street
The Unremovable Stain: High Turnover
TLDR: Do what you can to prevent the high-turnover machine because it’s really hard to reverse. If it’s gaining momentum, do the hard thing and take action immediately. Then thank me later.
We recently uncovered a company that’s bleeding talent.
They’ve got product-market fit. They’re not out of money. But they are suffering from a classic case of bad management.
This shocked me because I heard about this exact problem two years ago. Same company, same issue. And nothing’s changed. They’re still losing top performers left and right.
The core issue? Constant turnover in sales leadership. Reps get excited at the start of the year—new targets, new momentum. But every six months, the manager’s out, the strategy shifts, and the reset button gets hit again. What matters changes faster than Trump’s mind on tariffs.
The best salespeople don’t stick around for that. Even if the competition has a weaker product or less brand recognition, they’ll gladly make the switch for stability.
When a rep knows what’s expected of them and who they’re reporting to for the next 12 months, that’s a huge win. When that’s constantly in flux, they’re out. And they don’t come back.
Keep in mind, this isn’t some no-name startup. It’s a market leader. Great brand. But ever since PE took over, sales leadership has been a revolving door.
And here’s the part no one likes to talk about: once the bleeding starts, it’s hard to stop. The market talks. Word spreads. Suddenly, every recruiter hears, “Oh yeah, they’re a mess right now. Don’t send me there.”
That kind of reputation is hard to shake. Not just with reps—but with managers, too. Good leaders don’t want to risk their reputation trying to fix a sinking ship.
So what’s the point of all this?
Avoid high turnover like the plague. Especially in performance-driven teams.
A few things to keep in mind:
🔸 Keep your managers engaged. Post-acquisition incentives shift. Some folks just want a break after a long grind (especially if they cashed out). Make sure your key people still have a reason to stay and lead.
🔸 If you just got paid… stay focused. A big payout can be like a second puberty—it messes with your head. Don’t check out. If you do, make sure there is someone to support your frontline managers.
🔸 Watch for early signs. Drops in performance. Changes in attitude. People checking out early. Don’t micromanage, but keep up the energy.
🔸 If turnover has already started—act fast. Get close to the team. Understand what’s going on. Sometimes it’s not a huge issue—the last leader just bailed. Fine. Just don’t half-ass the next hire. Ensure alignment.
Remember, a great 0-to-1 manager might not be your 1-to-10 manager. You need a different tool for a different situation.
Bottom line: when turnover spirals, you don’t just lose people—you lose momentum, morale, and reputation. And at a certain point, not even Vodka can remove that stain.
Action Item: Check in with your management teams to ensure they are still excited about what the future at your company holds.
Pro-Tip for Candidates: If you’re one of the Individual Contributors in a team like this, going to the leadership team to express the frustration the team is feeling, in a thoughtful way, can be a great way to advance your career.
Jobs We’re Working On 💼
We’re currently supporting the following jobs. Apply if you think you’re a fit
Sales Director - PowerGem | Remote (USA)
Director of Manufacturing - Helix Earth Technologies| Houston, TX
VP of Finance & Ops – EV Charging SaaS Startup | Austin, TX
Sr. Account Executive – Gravity Climate | Remote (USA)
Mid-Market Account Executive – Impact Startup | Brooklyn, NY
EHS Manager – Mission Solar Energy | San Antonio, TX
(→ Want your job here? Reply to this email.)
Don’t see a role for you? Submit your resume here.
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Word on the Street
This is really disheartening, but I heard that 6K ran out of money and laid off most of the team, other than a skeleton crew to manage the cleanup. I had really high hopes for this company that had such a deep bench of talent. If you’ve got more info on what ended up going wrong here, I’d love to hear from you.
There seems to be a PE-backed race happening in the EnergyTech software space. While PE has downsides, it’s really encouraging to see PE come into the energy software space. It’s also pretty obvious — there is a lot of future demand, and we need to figure out how to manage it. Regardless if it’s renewable or conventional, we’ll see activity here. If you’re looking for stability, this could be the segment for you.
Okay, that’s all I’ve got for you today. See you next week.
~Silas
💬 Share your hiring win, challenge, or war story.
Reply to this email or DM us—we might feature it next week. We would love to share your lessons. This way, everyone benefits. Together, we can move climate forward in these uncertain times.
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