Employee loyalty is one of the most valuable yet underutilised assets in today’s workplace. For employers looking to reduce hiring costs, boost productivity, and build long-term resilience, retaining skilled women offers a compelling competitive growth advantage. Women, as highlighted in the RecruitMyMom Working Women in South Africa Report 2025 [1], exhibit above-average loyalty when employers meet their needs - and this is something not to ignore.
Let’s take a look at how loyalty in the workplace, especially among skilled women, translates into measurable cost savings for businesses, drawing on the latest local data and global research.
Women and employee loyalty
Sixty-five percent of South African women remain with one employer for 3-10 years. This is significantly above the national average job tenure of 2 years and 10 months.
This extended tenure reduces recruitment costs, onboarding and training expenses and productivity losses associated with high turnover. Longer tenure also strengthens institutional memory, fosters workplace stability and preserves team culture. These factors are underestimated in cost-benefit calculations.
Globally, this trend is mirrored. In the private sector, 56% of women describe themselves as "very loyal" to their employer, compared to just 42% of men [5].
The financial cost of losing loyal talent
Recruitment isn't cheap. The estimated cost to replace a mid-level employee can be up to 200% of their annual salary.
Beyond recruitment fees and onboarding expenses, the financial cost of losing loyal talent includes knowledge erosion, disrupted client relationships, and lost productivity during team recalibration. Long-serving employees carry institutional memory that often isn’t documented - from how to navigate internal systems to managing high-value clients with nuance. Their departure can trigger a ripple effect: disengagement in remaining staff, project delays, and even reputational risk if clients perceive instability. These hidden costs quietly compound over time, making retention not just an HR concern but a strategic business imperative.
Inclusion fuels talent retention and diversity
Globally, women working in organisations recognised for gender equality report significantly higher levels of loyalty - scoring 76 out of 100 - compared to those in less inclusive environments, where loyalty scores drop to less than a third of that. The takeaway is clear: when companies foster a culture of representation and inclusion, women are far more likely to stay and contribute long-term. [2][3].
These environments also enjoy higher engagement, productivity, and advocacy:
- Women are more likely to recommend their organisation to others [3]
- Motivation and sense of belonging increase with inclusive policies [2]
Flexible Working Adds to Employee Loyalty
The Working Women Report 2025 makes it clear: flexible work is no longer a benefit; it’s an important driver of employee loyalty, especially among skilled women. According to the report, 68% of women prefer full-time roles that offer flexibility, whether through remote working, flexible hours, or hybrid arrangements. In stark contrast, only 3.4% prefer full-time, in-office roles. This preference becomes even more pronounced as women advance in their careers and shoulder greater responsibilities both professionally and personally.
Providing flexible working options isn’t just a reasonable accommodation - it’s a cost-effective retention talent strategy. Businesses that offer flexibility are more likely to retain high-calibre professionals, reduce turnover-related costs and benefit from greater productivity and engagement. When employees can integrate work with life, particularly in mid- to senior-level roles, their commitment to the organisation strengthens. For employers, the message is clear: build flexibility into your workforce model, and you’ll build loyalty in return.
The loyalty-reward gap - a risk to ROI
While women demonstrate greater loyalty in the workplace than men, the reward gap (promotion and pay) remains wide:
The above disparity, documented in the HiBob 2025 Women in Work report [4], reveals a missed opportunity. Rewarding loyal female employees with promotions and pay parity improves retention and boosts return on investment.
5 Practical strategies to leverage female talent loyalty
Below are five practical steps you can take to strengthen retention, reduce hiring costs and unlock the full performance potential of your female workforce.
1. Build inclusive and flexible work models
Rigid, full-time in-office roles are becoming a barrier to attracting and retaining top talent, particularly women of all ages. By re-scoping these roles into hybrid or more flexible formats, you boost employee loyalty, reduce turnover and access a broader pool of skilled professionals.
2. Recognise career pauses as assets
Career pauses are often misunderstood as a loss of momentum, yet 43% of women take a pause, typically due to caregiving or retrenchment. Far from a setback, these periods often enhance leadership, prioritisation, and emotional intelligence - critical skills in today’s evolving workplace.
3. Offer family-centric benefits
Medical aid, training, provident fund contributions, paid maternity leave and flexible working are among the most valued. These benefits encourage long-term retention.
4. Support mid-career women
Women aged 25-44 tend to stay in a position for 3–5 years - making this an important window for career advancement and retention. While employee loyalty in women is high during this phase, the report highlights that without visible opportunities for growth, the risk of disengagement and leaving a job increases.
To retain women at work, employers should prioritise internal mobility, skills development, and succession planning. Investing in this space not only strengthens the leadership pipeline but helps prevent mid-career drop-off - a common and costly trend in many organisations.
5. Measure retention ROI
Track employee longevity, promotion equity and turnover cost by gender. Link these measures to profitability to see the real cost of loss of talent.
Employee loyalty in the workplace is a cost-saving strategy
Employee loyalty is not a soft metric. It's a measurable, financially rewarding asset, especially when it comes to skilled women. Employers who invest in reducing staff turnover see a knock-on effect in greater team performance, securing long-term organisational savings and sustainability. Loyalty in the workplace is, therefore, no longer assumed, but with the right workplace conditions, it is earned.
If you're ready to unlock the benefits of loyalty-driven performance, RecruitMyMom can help you find exceptional female talent that fits your business needs - whether in-office, hybrid, or remote. Talk to us - click here.
Sources:
RecruitMyMom Working Women in SA Report 2025, and:
[1] McKinsey - Women in the Workplace
[2] Deloitte - Gender Equality and Workplace Loyalty
[3] Economic Times - Women's Loyalty and Gender-Inclusive Workplaces
[4] HiBob - 2025 Women in Work
[5] HR Magazine - Women's Loyalty in Private Sector
