How an Inspired Act by a Broadway Legend Boosted Employee Retention

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julian Reeve, and Alex Lacamoire

“Your safety is our #1 priority, so we’re moving the entire production to a different venue.”

Those were the words of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer/creator/star of Broadway’s smash-hit musical Hamilton as he addressed the cast of the show at the end of our final dress rehearsal in New York. We’d just spent six weeks preparing for a month-long run in Puerto Rico, and he was explaining that we would be moving to a different venue on the island as students were planning to use the considerable media attention the show would create show as a platform to protest against the island’s government.

There were concerns for our safety.

To put this in perspective, Hamilton’s leadership had taken the decision to move venues - less than 5 days before the first preview performance - at a cost of $1M+ because employee safety was paramount.

Wow!

As the Music Director of the show, I was standing close to Lin as he delivered the news. As it landed, you could hear a pin drop. There we were in ‘The Room Where It Happens’, being told that employees were more important than profit, and that our safety was more important than anything else. As I looked around the room, I could see my own feelings of gratitude and deep respect reflected in other company member’s faces and smiles.

This level of support was unprecedented, and boy did we feel it.  

Imagine what being in that room felt like; being told by the CEO (Hamilton is most certainly a business, by the way), that although the show is already installed into a theatre, crews would be working through the night to break it all down to set it up again in a completely new venue ready for our arrival in just two days’ time - because WE were too important to do otherwise.

I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Now out of the entertainment business, I often share this incredible moment when talking to C-Suite. Those who connect with the message’s undercurrent understand that it wasn’t the ‘size’ of the gesture that mattered, but the willingness to put employees first and being seen to do so. They also recognize that employee prioritization would likely inspire loyalty and commitment further down the road when performers were tired, injured, and perhaps looking to move onto other gigs - conjecture that proved to be true.

When I go on to ask leadership what they are doing in their own creative organizations to achieve a similar goal, the response is varied. Some shrug and say they wouldn’t be able to show gestures of such grandeur because their budgets are too tight. Others suggest that they focus is on empowering middle managers to care for their high achieving employees and trust their methods to deliver. Others, however, understand the importance of leadership’s role within employee retention, but feel overwhelmed by the size of the problem and don’t know where to start.

Whatever answer I’m given, my response is always the same: Take ownership by establishing values first.

When the producers of Hamilton took the decision to move venue, they had a fundamental understanding that ‘people’ were a core value of their business. They knew that Lin-Manuel and the creative team - having cast performers of all races and ethnicities in roles that were historically white - were reliant on respect, inclusion, and immense care in all aspects of the production to succeed. Whats more, they also recognized that such was the specificity of the skill set required of performers in the show, and associated expenditure of consistent searches and auditions to fill roles, focus on employee retention through ‘investment in talent’ from the beginning of the production process, was paramount.

In effect, complete employee prioritization and investment became Hamilton’s retention strategy. This value was communicated congruently in everything that leadership did, which created a consistent feeling of care for employees, even when times were tough. Behind the scenes, this commitment made the decision to move venue in Puerto Rico a relatively simple one. Although expensive, the core value of the business was too important to do otherwise.

If ‘people’ are a core value of your business, what are you doing to make that connection for employees? Are they recognized and rewarded? Do they have sufficient opportunity for growth? Are they treated fairly and without bias?

Now an employee retention and burnout expert, I’m acutely aware of the importance to address values, recognition, and reward with employees. These three areas are key components of burnout in employees, which subsequently plays a significant role with employee retention.

If these elements are not a priority in your organization right now, you’d do well to act fast. Recent data shows that employee burnout stands at record rates in 2023, with 77% of workers saying they have experienced burnout in their current job [1]. 95% of HR Managers agree that employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention [2], with 70% of burned-out employees saying they would leave their job because of it. [3].

Whatever your values, communicate them clearly and ensure congruency in all that you do. As with Hamilton, doing so helps employees stay committed and loyal when the going gets tough - something I greatly appreciated and respected during my time on the show.

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By Julian Reeve, Founder and CEO of Perfect Equilibrium Inc.

[1] Deloitte [2] Kronos [3] Visier

Employee Burnout and Employee Retention are huge challenges, but strategic and incremental change can have a significant impact. With the right employee retention strategies, you can keep employees healthy, focused, and motivated so they stay engaged, committed, and loyal. Talk to us today about how we can help your organization find Perfect Equilibrium™ and thrive.