ABA's Retention Crisis: You Can’t Buy Loyalty, But You Can Build It

Sarah, a bright and passionate behavior technician, made a big decision last year. She left her position at a company she thought was fine, not perfect but fine, to accept a higher-paying job at another organization. The offer was hard to pass up. The pay was significantly better, and the promise of a hefty sign-on bonus made the transition even more enticing. After all, she reasoned, the work is the same everywhere, so why not get paid more for doing it?

At first, everything seemed great. The onboarding process was smooth enough, and Sarah felt like she had made the right choice. But within weeks, cracks began to show. The company had high turnover, and she quickly realized why. Caseloads were overwhelming, and the support system she had taken for granted at her previous job simply didn’t exist. Training was minimal, supervision was rare, and expectations felt unclear. While the paycheck was larger, the stress, isolation, and frustration mounted daily.

By the end of the year, Sarah was burned out and questioning whether she wanted to stay in the field at all. What she had gained financially, she had lost in mental and physical well-being. The problem wasn’t the work itself. It was the culture.

What Is Culture, and Why Does It Matter?

At its core, culture is shared behavior: the way we do things around here. It’s distinct from climate, which is about shared perception: how we feel about the way we do things around here. Together, these elements define the employee experience and, ultimately, the success or failure of an organization.

Sarah’s story is not unique. Many organizations in the ABA field lure professionals with promises of higher pay and sign-on bonuses. While these incentives can be appealing, they sometimes mask systemic issues that only come to light once you’re on the job. That’s why it’s essential to look beyond the paycheck and examine what’s under the hood.

Questions to Ask Before Accepting an Offer

A lucrative offer should come with careful vetting. To avoid the pitfalls Sarah experienced, behavior analysts should ask targeted questions that reveal the organization’s culture, systems, and leadership approach. Consider asking:

• What is the average and median retention rate for RBTs and BCBAs? High retention rates are a sign of employee satisfaction and stability.
• How do you support professional growth? Ask about mentorship, training programs, and opportunities for advancement.
• What does a typical caseload look like, and how do you determine caseload assignments? Ensure expectations are reasonable and align with your capacity to provide quality care.
• What metrics are used to evaluate employee performance? Clarity in expectations and feedback processes is critical for professional growth.
• What is the supervision structure? Understand how often you will meet with supervisors, how accessible they are, and the type of support they provide.
• What systems are in place to prevent burnout? Inquire about mental health resources, PTO policies, and organizational approaches to workload management.
• What is the organization’s long-term funding strategy? If pay and bonuses are significantly above industry averages, ensure the funding model is sustainable.
• Can I speak to current employees? Hearing firsthand about their experiences can provide invaluable insights into the organization’s culture.

How Are They Affording to Pay More?

When an organization offers significantly higher pay or sign-on bonuses, it’s essential to consider where the extra funds might be coming from. Often, these incentives are not a reflection of organizational generosity but a strategic trade-off. To fund higher salaries, some companies may cut back in critical areas like training, supervision, and resources. This can leave employees feeling unsupported and ill-equipped to handle their caseloads. Others might overload employees with unrealistic expectations, assigning larger caseloads or demanding excessive billable hours to recoup costs.

In some cases, organizations compromise on benefits, offering limited health insurance, minimal paid time off, or no retirement plans. Some rely on unstable funding sources like grants or loans, creating an unsustainable financial model that could jeopardize your job in the future. High turnover can also drive these practices. Instead of addressing systemic issues, companies pour resources into recruiting and onboarding new employees, creating a cycle that depletes resources while leaving current staff to manage the fallout.

Organizations might also exploit legal or ethical gray areas, such as misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid providing benefits or ignoring overtime laws. While these strategies may save money in the short term, they often result in poor employee experiences and long-term instability.

The Consequences of a Poor Culture

The consequences of a toxic workplace culture can be devastating for employees and organizations alike. Chronic stress from heavy workloads and inadequate support can lead to burnout, causing physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and sleep disturbances. Mentally, employees may experience anxiety, depression, and a sense of isolation, eroding their professional confidence and overall well-being.

Poor culture also affects the quality of services provided. Employees struggling with burnout and lack of support are less likely to deliver high-quality care, which directly impacts clients or students. High turnover rates disrupt continuity, creating chaos for those who remain and undermining the organization’s ability to meet its goals. Financially, poor culture is costly. Recruiting and onboarding new employees, managing the fallout of turnover, and addressing performance issues are far more expensive than creating a culture where employees thrive.

Piece of the Puzzle Behavior Analysis: A Case Study in Building Culture

In contrast, Piece of the Puzzle Behavior Analysis (POTPBA) demonstrates the profound impact of building a strong culture through leadership and systems. Christina Morales, the driving force behind the organization, has always believed in the power of intentional, values-based leadership and the importance of well-designed systems. Her commitment to empowering the leaders around her and building something meaningful is evident in the remarkable outcomes her team has achieved.

The retention data averaged across the past eight years tells a powerful story of success. Piece of the Puzzle Behavior Analysis (POTPBA) has consistently achieved retention rates far exceeding industry standards. What makes this story even more remarkable is how they’ve done it - not through inflated pay or coercive incentives, but by focusing on leadership and streamlined systems. These systems, deliberately built on values and designed with performance and professional growth in mind, have played a pivotal role in creating a culture where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed. Just check out a sample of weekly staff satisfaction data collected below!

But here’s what the retention data doesn’t show: how much time Christina and her leadership team now have to dedicate to growth-oriented activities instead of constantly putting out fires. By investing in leadership and building simplified, effective systems, they’ve created an organization that operates proactively rather than reactively. This focus has freed them up to strategize, innovate, expand the company and foster even greater professional development within their team. Christina and her leadership teams' unwavering belief in the power of leadership and systems has not only driven exceptional outcomes but also demonstrated that when you invest in building something meaningful, people don’t just come - they stay.

A Piece of Their Puzzle

Along with other leaders in the field, I’ve been honored to be a piece of POTBA’s puzzle. My role was to contribute to building values-driven leaders and systems within POTPBA, focusing on Deliberate Coaching grounded in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM). By helping to strengthen their leadership framework and align their systems with their values, my colleagues and I worked to create an environment where every team member could thrive. Seeing how these efforts have supported Christina’s vision and empowered her team to grow and succeed has been deeply rewarding.

Christina’s and her leadership team’s dedication to building something meaningful is evident in the culture they have created - one that prioritizes leadership, values systems, and focuses on reinforcing behaviors that align with their shared goals. She and her team are a shining example of what’s possible when an organization invests in its people. It’s clear that Christina’s focus on leadership and systems has not only transformed her organization but has also inspired those around her.

Being a part of this journey continues to strengthens my belief that strong leaders and effective systems are the foundation of thriving cultures. Watching Christina and her team flourish is a testament to the power of investing in people and the systems that guide their success.

As the saying goes, “Build it, and they will come.” POTPBA has done just that, creating an environment where employees are not only drawn to work but are inspired to stay. Their success really highlights the truth that while pay might attract talent, it’s the culture, driven by effective leadership and practical yet robust systems, that keeps them engaged and committed.

For organizations and professionals alike, the message is clear. Don’t just aim to attract talent. Create an environment where they’ll thrive. Great cultures don’t just retain employees. They transform lives. The other message is this: if POTPBA can do it, so can you. It's just behavior!

Building Leadership and Systems Grounded in OBM

The success of any organization begins with leadership and systems. When grounded in Organizational Behavior Management, these systems are not only effective but also transparent and adaptable. Transparency ensures clarity and alignment, while adaptability allows organizations to respond to changing environments. After all, just like organisms, organizations that fail to adapt risk extinction. However, those who embrace adaptability don’t just survive; they actually flourish and multiply.

At the heart of adaptable organizations are systems rooted in behavioral principles. Systems are made up of processes, processes are made up of tasks, and tasks are made up of behavior. Since everything ultimately comes back to behavior, it only makes sense to leverage the science of human behavior to design, implement, and refine these systems. OBM provides the framework for doing exactly that, allowing organizations to create environments where both employees and outcomes thrive.

If you’re looking to transform your organization through leadership and systems built on proven behavioral principles, I’d love to help. Whether through a keynote talk, hands-on consulting, or ongoing support, I can provide actionable strategies that align with your goals.

In the meantime, check out any of my books on leadership to dive deeper into these concepts and learn how you can start building systems that empower your people and elevate your organization. Oh, and be on the lookout for my next book, Adaptive Intelligence: The Evolution of Emotional Intelligence through the Proven Principles of Behavior Science. Let’s work together to create a future where your organization doesn’t just survive - it flourishes. Reach out to learn more!

About the Author

Specializing in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is a behavior scientist and educator who has worked across education and human services for almost three decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults through various positions, including COO, Vice President, Director of School Improvement, Leadership Director, Professor, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, District Behavior Analyst, and Director of Progam Development and Public Relations at PCMA. Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), or the science of human behavior, to make a positive difference in establishing safe, productive, and engaging environments that bring out the best in faculty and staff so they can bring out the best in the learners they serve. He is an active board member of the Opioid Awareness Foundation and World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Known for his authenticity and practical approaches, Dr. Gavoni is the host of the Top 1.5% globally ranked Crisis in Education Podcast and a sought-out speaker at various Educational and Behavior Analytic Conferences Internationally. He a the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling co-author of The Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma; Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership; Deliberate Coaching: A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance; and MMA Science: A Training, Coaching, and Belt Ranking Guide. Dr. Gavoni is proud to introduce OBM and Applied Behavior Analysis to worldwide audiences through his numerous publications and his work with PCMA to create productive, safe, and positive cultures.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and a highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been featured in the books Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams a the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts, A Fighter’s Way, and the featured article Ring to Cage: How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest. He is also an author who has written extensively for various online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and Bloody Elbow, where his Fight Science series continues to bring behavioral science to MMA. Finally, Paulie was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest-rated show at the time, The Toughman, and as an MMA coach in the Lifetime reality series Leave it to Geege.

Disclaimer: All ideas presented are original to the author. ChatGPT has been used solely to enhance the reading experience.