I stayed with the same employer from the time I was in my junior year through my junior year of college. Quite clearly, then, there were some incentives for me to stay. And no, none was a pension. So, let’s consider a few of those:

1. The people I worked with were awesome. I would have been out the door a dozen times if it weren’t for the fact that I was working with people I enjoyed being around, who supported me, developed me, and related to me. My peers and my supervisors were both important contributors in this regard. To give you an idea of what a large role the people I worked with played for me: To this day, I still hang out on a regular basis with people who I worked with there.

2. My schedule was flexible. Flexibility was incredibly important to my work schedule, and it still is. In a given week in high school, I might have a family obligation, a sports event, practice most afternoons, some sort of homework or exam to prepare for, and a couple work shifts for which I was scheduled. Oh, and I was sort of interested in having a life, too. So, if there was a concert I wanted to attend, for instance, I was able to work that out with the boss. That flexibility kept me there because it meant that (a) I could accomplish the things I wanted to and (b) my boss didn’t make me feel like my job was a part of my goals, instead of an obstacle to accomplishing them.

3. I was recognized for what I did well. Without trying to brag (OK, maybe just a bit), I managed to pull in a couple awards, a couple special assignments, a promotion, and a number of complimentary reviews that were coupled with pay increases. I knew that what I accomplished there was making a difference to the company, and that the difference I was making would be rewarded.

4. I got to eat for free. I can’t stress this one enough: Starving student + Free food = Match made in Heaven.

So, those are four reasons I stayed with one employer for a long time.

Ask your long-term employees why they’ve hung around for so long, then work to create those kind of perks for all of your employees.