Career Development Factors and Staff Turnover
The indicators were training, coaching, professional networking, and seminars, academic and
professional sponsorships. The table below shows the frequency of respondents.
Table Career Development factors and Staff Turnover
S agree Agree Neutral Disagree S disagree
f % f % f % f % f %
Training 27 30.3 43 48.3 6 6.7 10 11.2 3 3.4
Coaching/mentorship 9 10.1 41 46.1 11 12.4 23 25.8 5 5.6
Professional networking 13 14.6 25 28.1 33 37.1 11 12.4 7 7.9
Seminars/conference 2 2.2 48 53.9 15 16.9 15 16.9 9 10.1
Academic &professional
sponsorship
22 24.9 40 44.9 10 11.2 10 11.2 7 7.9
The findings indicated that 48 (53.9%) of the participants felt that seminars, conferences
for skill advancements contributed more to their retention in the organization. Among these,
20.2% were below 30 years of age, age groups 30-34 and 35-39 had 11 (12.4%) participants
each, 7 (7.9%) were aged 40-44 years and only 1 was above 44 years. This reflected that young
employees are highly motivated by skills advancement in improving their career development.
Training for higher responsibilities was highly attractive and influential to the middle level
managers in their retention in the organization. Non-management staff had 20.7% of the
participants who indicated that this was a highly influencing factor to their stay in their
employment because of the opportunity for career development. Thus, the highly ranked
employees were not influenced by training for career advancement. Academic and professional
sponsorship was preferred by the diploma and undergraduate employees as the only incentive for
their retention to acquire skills and advance within the ladders of the organization.
All factors showed a strong and positive correlation with staff turnover. Seminars, had
the strongest correlation (0.819) followed by training (0.819), coaching (0.756) and academic &
professional sponsorship (0.724) in that order. Professional networking within the bank had a
correlation value (0.718).Thus these factors were strongly correlated with staff turnover. 59.6%
(n=53) of the participants had experienced career development, however, there were 40.4%
(n=36) of the participants who had never witnessed any career advancement. The findings
justified (Ernst & Young 2014) survey recommendations that frameworks for self-development
and training programs within organizations structures were very important in skills and career
development. This will facilitate succession, through coaching and mentorship since very
experienced and trained staff will be retained within the organizations and take leadership
positions as opposed to being poached .Employee commitment (Grawitch et al 2006) in terms of
ownership for both career and ongoing development by continuous learning process will increase
job satisfaction, loyalty and a sense of ownership in execution of employee‟s duties and these
employees will be retained because of the need to realize their ambitions in the organization.
Employee Relations Factors and Staff turnover
The table below shows frequencies of employee relations factors and their influence on staff
turnover. The indicators studied under the variable included (Employee welfare, promotions,
conflict relations, leadership styles, assertive communications and succession plans.
Table Employee relations Factors and Staff Turnover
S agree Agree Neutral Disagree S disagree
f % f % f % f % f %
Employee welfare 49 55.1 39 43.8 0 0.0 1 1.1 0 0.0
promotions 61 68.5 22 24.7 1 1.1 5 5.6 0 0.0
Conflict resolutions 12 13.5 42 47.2 12 13.5 20 22.5 3 3.4
Recognition 17 19.1 38 42.7 16 18.0 8 9.0 10 11.2
Leadership styles 32 36.0 42 47.2 8 9.0 5 5.6 2 2.2
Assertive communication 24 27.0 53 59.6 6 6.7 3 3.4 3 3.4
Succession plans 37 41.6 33 37.1 9 10.1 8 9.0 2 2.2
The table indicates that, promotions were highly influential to staff turnover as
68.5%
(61) of the participants who strongly agreed to this. 55.1% (n=49) of the participants
strongly agreed that employee welfare is influential to staff retention. Succession plan was
highly effective as41.6% (n=37) of the participants indicated. Assertive communication
had 59.6% (53) agreeing, leadership styles had 47.2% of the participants agreeing while
conflict resolutions were represented by (47.2%, n=42).Recognition was influential to
42.7% of the participants. From the findings, out of 41.6% of the participants who felt that
the company‟s succession plans was influential to retention, 18% were below 30 years of
age, 16.6% aged 30-34 years, and those in the age groups 35-39 and 40-44 tied at 3.4%.
This shows that, the company‟s succession plan is attractive to the young employees
compared to the aged who were about to retire. Promotions had a strong extent of
influence to the undergraduates while the master‟s graduates had 21.3% with diploma
graduates had the least representation at 4.5% of the respondents.
Strong correlation was found between conflict resolution (0.872) employee
welfare (.806), Succession plans (.754) and Assertive communication (0.716) to staff
turnover. Leadership styles (0.696) and promotions (0.672) had weak correlations to staff
turnover as compared to the other three. Organization with attractive retention policies can
reduce staff turnover related costs .HRM practices that focuses on employee welfares and
includes employees in their daily activities will have higher retention rates. Proper
communication, effective leadership styles, conflict resolutions and efficiently constituted
welfare programs are key elements that improves employee-employer relations. This
environments creates strong relationships that will enhances productivity (Ulrich, 2007)
and reduce recruitment costs associated with high staff turnover.
