Our starting point
retension began with a simple, well, tension:
We loved the work – helping organisations think clearly about complex, often technical issues.
We didn’t love the usual way the industry treated people – especially juniors and very senior professionals.
One of our founders left a global agency after realising that 50–60 hour weeks and long-haul flights didn’t sit well with a new baby at home. At the same time, we kept meeting brilliant seniors who were told they were “done” because they wanted to step back from full-time roles.
We asked: Could we build a model where both seniors and juniors thrive – and clients get better work as a result?
retension is our attempt at an answer.
Our beliefs
Comms and sustainability work are thinking jobs.
If we’re just forwarding press releases or dressing up shallow ESG stories, we’re not adding value. Good work starts with curiosity, listening and doing the homework.
Juniors deserve a fair shot and a fair wage.
Long hours and low pay aren’t a rite of passage; they’re a design choice. We’d rather design something better.
Seniors shouldn’t have to choose between retirement and overwork.
There’s a lot of wisdom sitting just outside the full-time workforce. We want to create dignified, flexible ways for that wisdom to stay in play.
Clients are partners, not just revenue.
We do our best work with organisations that want an honest thinking partner – not just the cheapest pair of hands.
Success is measured in decades.
We’re building for longevity, not a quick exit. One day, we’d love retension to stand on its own as a mission-driven company where no one “owns” the upside – they just draw a fair salary to keep the work going.