Inari Agriculture Slashes Turnover from 21% to 7% Through Strategic Employee Listening

The Opportunity

Inari Agriculture recognized that its ability to transform global food systems depended heavily on its ability to engage and retain top talent. The organization needed more than just basic feedback mechanisms — they needed a comprehensive listening strategy that could evaluate the impact of their initiatives while simultaneously improving employee experience and business outcomes.

Traditional approaches to employee feedback weren't sufficient for a company pushing the boundaries of agricultural innovation. They needed a system that could capture insights across the entire employee lifecycle, from applicant to alumni, while maintaining the agility to adapt to rapid organizational growth and change.

The Solution

Inari developed an eight-step approach to transform their employee listening strategy. They implemented a five-factor lifecycle survey process, complemented by focus groups, one-on-one meetings, and innovative "working groups" that brought together randomly selected employees to ensure diverse perspectives were heard.

The organization took an equally thoughtful approach to action planning. Rather than treating it as a routine exercise, they embedded it into their formal performance management process. Leaders at all levels were held accountable not just for promoting participation, but for taking concrete actions based on employee feedback. This commitment extended from individual manager initiatives to company-wide strategic planning.

To ensure success, they created a dedicated three-person team responsible for monitoring and acting on employee feedback. When addressing issues identified through their listening process, they made explicit connections between employee input and organizational actions, creating a clear line of sight between feedback and change.

The Impact

Inari’s turnover rate plummeted from 21% to 7% in just two years — a transformation that enhanced their ability to retain top talent. Survey participation rates told an equally impressive story, rising from an already high 91% in their first year to 94% in their second year.

Inari achieved statistically significant improvements in growth and development opportunities in areas related to DEI, with a 6.4% increase for women and an 8.9% increase for employees identified as BIPOC. Their working groups achieved an 80% participation rate among randomly selected employees, demonstrating strong buy-in across all levels of the organization.

Beyond the metrics, the initiative transformed how the organization approached decision-making. Employee feedback became a cornerstone of strategic discussions, with insights regularly referenced in senior leadership meetings. The program's success led to the creation of more than 20 categories and 60 individual items for measuring employee experience, providing granular insights into organizational "pillars of success" and areas needing attention.

Leadership became so invested in this process that they chartered a team to identify and define the values and cultural attributes needed for the company's future. This commitment to continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making has changed how Inari operates, making them, in their own words, "a different company as a result of this work."