The Vital Role of Employee Retention in Human Resource Management: A Literature Review

Abstract

A review of the literature on employee retention was made to determine within which theoretical frameworks it is relevant to discuss the issue of employee retention; what factors can influence the employees' decision to stay with the organization in the public sector; what factors can affect the employees' decision to shift to the semiprivate sector; and what HRM practices can influence employee retention positively. Examination of the recent researches is important to assess how HRM policies implemented in Qatar in 2009 can affect employee retention in the public sector. The literature review on employee retention management demonstrates that retention can be influenced by effective HRM practices in the sphere of training and development, performance appraisals, recognition, and promotion opportunities. Literature on the linkage between engagement, commitment and retention is organized in a separate section to state the role of focusing on employees' satisfaction and commitment to promote retention. The discussion of issues of turnover and challenges related to employee retention is also identified in the literature to present the gap in HRM that needs to be addressed with effective HRM practices. Finally, the review provides directions for further research in the field.