According to the 2025 Accounting MOVE Project Report, nearly 63% of firms say burnout is the top reason employees leave. But behind that, the deeper issue may be belonging.

“Belonging seems to be why people leave—more so than pay, more so than anything else out there,” said Annie Buol Ruszczyk, president of the MOVE Project.

According to Accounting Today,  this year’s report argues that belonging isn’t just about workplace culture, but as a business imperative. “Exclusion hurts,” Ruszczyk wrote. “It shrinks our confidence. It limits our participation. It makes us question whether we should even show up.”

For firms trying to build lag-term retention, support systems matter. One firm offering sabbaticals after eight years said, “Four weeks of complete disconnection isn’t a cost, it’s an investment in their next decade with us.” Another restructured time-off policies to reflect caregiving realities, noting, “We’ve had three leaders on parental leave simultaneously, and operations haven’t missed a beat because we planned for it.”

Yet some challenges still remain. Only 19% of firms train managers on fair pay practices, down from 37% the previous year. While 78% identify high-potential employees, just over half train managers to recognize them. The MOVE report makes the case that building belonging takes structure, not just intention.