The Work Institute

What The Work Institute does

The Work Institute is a privately held B2B professional services firm headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, founded in 2000. The company specializes in employee retention and engagement research, delivering third-party conducted exit interviews, stay interviews, employee engagement studies, pulse surveys, onboarding studies, candidate experience studies, employer engagement studies, and leadership development consulting. Target buyers are HR leaders, C-suite executives, and talent acquisition professionals at enterprise and mid-market organizations, with a documented vertical concentration in healthcare—particularly hospital systems addressing nursing and clinical talent turnover.

The firm's core methodology is live telephonic behavioral interviewing conducted by trained interviewers in 12–15 minute sessions using open-ended probing questions, on the thesis that employees give materially different (cited as 40% different) responses to an independent third party than to internal HR. Output is delivered through the proprietary Navigator Reporting System, a secure client portal that posts results within three business days and supports drill-down from quantitative aggregates to verbatim qualitative responses segmented by demographic and department, with a minimum five-participant segment threshold for anonymity. The firm has accumulated nearly one million interviews and surveys over its history, with the 9th Annual Retention Report alone drawing on over 120,000 exit interviews.

Work Institute operates a quote-based, multi-year contract pricing model with no publicly disclosed rates and no self-service or channel partner distribution. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements, consulting, speaking engagements, and recurring research publications (annual and quarterly retention reports). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, no M&A activity, and no parent company; founder/CEO Danny Nelms is the public face of the firm across webinars, conference speaking, and authored research, and the operating footprint remains a single U.S. headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee with 51–100 employees.

Name

The Work Institute

Legal name

The Work Institute, LLC

Website

https://workinstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Work Institute is a Franklin, Tennessee-based B2B professional services firm that conducts third-party exit interviews, stay interviews, and employee engagement studies for enterprise and mid-market organizations, with notable healthcare vertical concentration and a proprietary Navigator reporting platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Retention Consulting

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Workforce Planning Consulting (BPAHAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Career Assessment & Skills Profiling (Assessments for Transition) (BPACAOAG), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Employee retention services
• Exit interview solutions
• Stay interview programs
• Employee engagement research
• Workforce consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Exit & Stay Interviews: The company conducts outsourced exit interviews, stay interviews, and employee engagement studies for client organizations. These are consultation-based professional services delivered by trained behavioral interviewers.
2. Retention Reports & Research Publications: Work Institute publishes annual and quarterly retention reports (10th Annual Retention Report, Q1 2026 Workforce Trends Report) which serve as both thought leadership and potential revenue generating content.
3. Speaking Engagements: The company offers speaking services where CEO Danny Nelms and other experts present on employee retention and engagement topics at industry events and conferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Work Institute conducts third-party exit interviews, stay interviews, employee engagement studies, onboarding studies, pulse surveys, and leadership development programs for client organizations, delivered by trained behavioral interviewers using a telephonic methodology. Research outputs are delivered to clients through a proprietary Navigator reporting platform, supplemented by annual retention reports and consulting engagements aimed at reducing employee turnover.

Product overview

The Work Institute offers a comprehensive suite of employee retention and engagement solutions centered around evidence-based exit and stay interviews, engagement studies, and consulting services. The core methodology involves live telephonic interviews conducted by trained behavioral interviewers using open-ended questions to gather qualitative data, complemented by web-based surveys. All research is processed through the proprietary Navigator Reporting System, which delivers quantitative analysis with drill-down capability to verbatim responses. The company publishes Annual Retention Reports and Quarterly Workforce Trends Reports to provide industry insights. Key service modules include Exit Interviews, Stay Interviews, Employee Engagement Studies, Leadership Development, Pulse Surveys, Onboarding Studies, and Retention Consultation—all designed to help organizations reduce turnover costs, improve retention, and create data-backed strategies for workforce success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exit Interviews Third-party conducted exit interviews with departing employees using trained behavioral interviewers to uncover real reasons for turnover through open-ended, probing questions. Designed for organizations seeking honest feedback beyond what internal HR channels typically capture.
• Stay Interviews Current employee interviews designed to identify what keeps employees at the organization and what would cause them to leave, helping prevent turnover before it occurs.
• Employee Engagement Studies Comprehensive studies measuring employee morale, productivity, and organizational perceptions to provide actionable data for improving engagement across the workforce.
• Leadership Development Training Programs focused on developing effective leaders based on principles of facilitating learning and applying skills immediately in the workplace, delivered in partnership with distinguished instructors.
• Pulse Surveys Regular employee feedback surveys providing ongoing intelligence about workforce challenges and employee sentiment between larger engagement studies.
• Employee Retention Consultation & Strategy Expert consulting services to create sustainable cultures of engagement and loyalty through evidence-based retention strategies built on Work Institute's research findings.
• Onboarding Studies Research and analysis of new employee experiences to improve assimilation, reduce first-year turnover, and increase retention of newly hired talent.
• Candidate Experience Studies Studies measuring job candidates' perceptions and experiences during the recruitment process to improve attraction, hiring outcomes, and offer acceptance.
• Employer Engagement Studies Studies measuring employees' perception of the organization as an employer, quality of supervisor performance, and intent to stay within the organization.
• Navigator Reporting System Proprietary online reporting portal where research results are posted within three business days of interview completion, allowing clients to view quantitative data at scale and drill down to qualitative verbatim responses by demographic and department, with a five-participant minimum per segment to protect anonymity.
• Annual Retention Reports Annual publications compiling data from exit interviews and employee studies to provide industry-wide insights on employee retention trends and turnover drivers.
• Quarterly Workforce Trends Reports Quarterly reports providing early looks at employee turnover patterns based on exit interview data and emerging workforce trends.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations can reduce overall turnover by 11% or more
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Marshall GoldsmithminorOthersDistinguished instructor and thought leader recognized as one of the fifteen most influential business thinkers globally. A million-selling author of books including 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There.' Serves as thought leadership partner for leadership development methodologies.
• Colonel Arthur J. Athens, USMCR (Ret.)minorOthersDirector of the U.S. Naval Academy's Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. White House Fellow under President Ronald Reagan. Partner for leadership and ethical development programs.
• Joe CallowayminorOthersPerformance expert and author of 'Becoming a Category of One.' Partner in Engage Consulting Group contributing to organizational strategy development methodologies.
• Joe ScarlettminorOthersRetired Chairman of Tractor Supply Company and Founder of Scarlett Leadership Institute. Brings executive leadership expertise to organizational strategy development.
• Lynne MaynorminorOthersDirector of Leadership & Training for Gaylord Opryland. Known as the 'architect' of Gaylord culture. Partner for culture development and employee engagement training.
• Margaret MorfordminorOthersCEO of The HR Edge, Inc. Cited in Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, CBS, and New York Times. Former HR VP with expertise in employment law and management consulting.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gallup: Gallup is the dominant employee engagement research and consulting firm with a global Q12 engagement framework and decades of benchmarking data. Directly comparable to Work Institute on employee engagement research, survey methodology, and thought-leadership publishing, though Gallup operates at much greater scale and breadth across industries.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with significant talent management and workforce advisory practices. Comparable to Work Institute on HR consulting and talent management advisory, though Korn Ferry operates at substantially larger scale and broader service scope.
• Mercer: Mercer provides human capital consulting, talent strategy, and workforce analytics as part of a broader benefits and HR advisory practice. Comparable to Work Institute on HR consulting, talent management, and employee research, with significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• Willis Towers Watson: Willis Towers Watson is a global advisory firm with substantial human capital and employee engagement consulting practices. Comparable to Work Institute on workforce research and HR advisory services, operating at far greater scale with a much broader risk-and-insurance portfolio.
• Great Place to Work: Great Place to Work runs large-scale employee survey programs and certification programs across thousands of employers globally. Comparable to Work Institute on employee engagement research and benchmarking, with a much larger installed base and certification-driven brand.

Emerging players

• Quantum Workplace: Quantum Workplace provides employee engagement surveys, pulse surveys, and retention analytics software. Comparable to Work Institute on employee engagement measurement, though Quantum Workplace is a tech-enabled SaaS platform versus Work Institute's high-touch telephonic methodology.
• Watermark Research: Watermark Research conducts employee engagement and exit interview research for healthcare systems and other regulated industries. Closely comparable to Work Institute's healthcare-vertical exit/stay interview methodology, though Watermark operates at a smaller, regional scale.

Direct peers

• Press Ganey: Press Ganey is a leading healthcare-focused employee and patient experience survey provider. Directly comparable to Work Institute's healthcare vertical specialization, exit/stay interview methodology, and enterprise health-system client base, though Press Ganey serves a broader healthcare ecosystem.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): DDI is a leadership development and talent management consulting firm with deep assessment and behavioral interview methodologies. Comparable to Work Institute on leadership development offerings and behavioral-interview-based assessments, though DDI has global scale and a broader leadership curriculum.
• Engage2Excel: Engage2Excel provides employee engagement surveys, recognition programs, and retention research to enterprise clients. Comparable to Work Institute on engagement survey design, retention research, and enterprise customer focus, with a broader rewards/recognition platform offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100575740000206
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-work-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/workinstitute
• Xx.com/workinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Work Institute