Perceived Relationship Between Career Development and Employee Retention at Deloitte Kenya

Abstract

The most perpetual challenge in most organizations today is lack of a well structured career development and employee retention program. This has heightened the need for career development programs in order to achieve employee retention in most organizations. While extensive literature exists, career development, the focus has largely been on its influence on performance and productivity, leaving out the role of employee retention. The study thus set out to determine the relationship between career development and employee retention at Deloitte Kenya. The study used descriptive, correlation and regression survey designs. The population of this study was a total of 120 employees. A structured questionnaire was used for purposes of data collection and data was analysed using inferential statistics. Results indicate that generally, a majority of respondents are satisfied with career planning at Deloitte Kenya as most respondents exhibit conformity to career planning best practices. Training and development is also found to be satisfactory in the study area according to most respondents as indicated by support given to the programs both by the participants and the firm’s management. Coaching and mentoring is further found to be moderately to highly practiced at the firm, to which respondents expressed satisfactory levels. The study further found to have well established career counseling services catering for employees counseling needs both during service and when leaving for a variety of reasons. Respondents further expressed high satisfactory levels with succession planning and talent management. The finding also implies that employees at Deloitte Kenya are satisfied and intend to stay with the firm. Against this background, inferential results further revealed that among other factors, career planning, training and development, coaching and mentoring career counselling, succession planning and talent management are key influences of employee retention at Deloitte Kenya.Together these career development practices facilitate employee engagement and job retention. This inturn reduces turnover and increase productivity at Deloitte Kenya