Targeted employee retention: Performance-based and job-related differences in reported reasons for staying

What makes employees stay with a particular employer? To find out, we developed a content model of 12 retention factors in the context of previous theory and research and analyzed open-ended responses from 24,829 employees in the leisure and hospitality industry. Our coding of their comments supported the identified framework and revealed that job satisfaction, extrinsic rewards, constituent attachments, organizational commitment, and organizational prestige were the most frequently mentioned reasons for staying. High performers and nonhourly workers were more likely to cite advancement opportunities and organizational prestige as reasons for staying, whereas low performers and hourly employees were more likely to cite extrinsic rewards. These findings highlight the importance of differentiating human resource management practices when the goal is to retain valued employees. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[1]  Dwight R. Norris,et al.  Job Performance and Turnover Decisions: Two Field Studies , 1988 .

[2]  Chris J. Sablynski,et al.  WHY PEOPLE STAY: USING JOB EMBEDDEDNESS TO PREDICT VOLUNTARY TURNOVER , 2001 .

[3]  D. Mesch,et al.  The Impact of Flexible Scheduling on Employee Attendance and Turnover. , 1990 .

[4]  Hao Zhao,et al.  THE IMPACT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT BREACH ON WORK‐RELATED OUTCOMES: A META‐ANALYSIS , 2007 .

[5]  Paula C. Morrow,et al.  A Multidisciplinary Model of Voluntary Employee Turnover. , 1980 .

[6]  Jill R. Kickul,et al.  Broken Promises: Equity Sensitivity as a Moderator Between Psychological Contract Breach and Employee Attitudes and Behavior , 2001 .

[7]  C. Trevor,et al.  Interactions among actual ease-of-movement determinants and job satisfaction in the prediction of vo , 2001 .

[8]  Joseph A. Alutto,et al.  Personal and Role-Related Factors in the Development of Organizational Commitment. , 1972 .

[9]  Denise M. Rousseau,et al.  CHANGING OBLIGATIONS AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY , 1994 .

[10]  A. Pizam,et al.  Absenteeism and voluntary turnover in Central Florida hotels: a pilot study , 2000 .

[11]  E. F. Jackofsky,et al.  Turnover and Job Performance: An Integrated Process Model , 1984 .

[12]  Barry M. Staw,et al.  The consequences of turnover , 1980 .

[13]  Julie A. Wright,et al.  Flexible and compressed workweek schedules: A meta-analysis of their effects on work-related criteria. , 1999 .

[14]  David G. Allen,et al.  Integrating justice constructs into the turnover process : a test of a referent cognitions model , 1997 .

[15]  A. Rappaport,et al.  The aging workforce raises new talent management issues for employers , 2003 .

[16]  E. F. Jackofsky,et al.  The hypothesized effects of ability in the turnover process. , 1983, Academy of management review. Academy of Management.

[17]  Leigh Branham,et al.  Planning to become an employer of choice , 2005 .

[18]  Ady Milman,et al.  Hourly employee retention in small and medium attractions: the Central Florida example , 2003 .

[19]  P. Hom,et al.  A Meta-Analysis of Antecedents and Correlates of Employee Turnover: Update, Moderator Tests, and Research Implications for the Next Millennium , 2000 .

[20]  Richard M. Steers.  Antecedents and outcomes of organizational commitment. , 1977, Administrative science quarterly.

[21]  J. Hunter,et al.  Validity and Utility of Alternative Predictors of Job Performance , 1984 .

[22]  S. Robinson.  Trust and Breach of the Psychological Contract , 1996 .

[23]  John W. Boudreau,et al.  Voluntary turnover and job performance: Curvilinearity and the moderating influences of salary growth and promotions. , 1997 .

[24]  K. Scott,et al.  Gender Differences in Absenteeism , 1990 .

[25]  Organizations , 1992, Restoration & Management Notes.

[26]  Robin B. Dipietro,et al.  Hourly Employee Retention Factors in the Quick Service Restaurant Industry , 2004 .

[27]  C. Collins,et al.  The interactive effects of recruitment practices and product awareness on job seekers' employer knowledge and application behaviors. , 2007, The Journal of applied psychology.

[28]  Rodger W. Griffeth,et al.  Retaining Valued Employees , 2001 .

[29]  Anselm L. Strauss,et al.  Basics of qualitative research : techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory , 1998 .

[30]  C. Fombrun,et al.  What's in a Name? Reputation Building and Corporate Strategy , 1990 .

[31]  Paul M. Muchinsky,et al.  Employee Absenteeism: A Review of the Literature. , 1977 .

[32]  D. Allen,et al.  Test of a mediated performance-turnover relationship highlighting the moderating roles of visibility and reward contingency. , 2001, The Journal of applied psychology.

[33]  D. R. Dalton,et al.  Turnover turned over: an expanded and positive perspective. , 1979, Academy of management review. Academy of Management.

[34]  David Krackhardt,et al.  Turnover Overstated: The Functional Taxonomy , 1982 .

[35]  Richard M. Steers,et al.  Organizational, work, and personal factors in employee turnover and absenteeism. , 1973 .

[36]  P. Hom.  Employee Turnover , 1994 .

[37]  W. Mobley,et al.  Review and Conceptual Analysis of the Employee Turnover Process , 1979 .

[38]  Robert P. Steel,et al.  The development of a multidimensional measure of job market cognitions: the Employment Opportunity Index (EOI). , 2005, The Journal of applied psychology.

[39]  C W Mueller,et al.  A causal model for turnover for nurses. , 1981, Academy of Management journal. Academy of Management.

[40]  Rodger W. Griffeth,et al.  Practical retention policy for the practical manager , 2002 .