Putting people first: Employee retention and organizational performance

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Business organizations come in all shapes and sizes and often exhibit more differences than similarities. But one factor common to all is that success is highly dependent on the skills, knowledge and experience of the employees within them. The late Ray Kroc obviously recognized this when pointing out that any company is only as good as the people it hires. Given his considerable involvement in creating the McDonald's fast food empire, it's pretty certain this American knew a thing or two about what makes folk tick. There's no doubt that attracting and retaining key employees should be a top priority for any company worth its salt. For many though, this issue lies well down the pecking order behind countless other things mistakenly deemed more important.

Practical implications

Organizations can devise policies and practices to improve relations with employees and subsequently increase their motivation, commitment and loyalty.

Social implications

Effective employee retention measures can help boost corporate image among current and prospective employees, various other stakeholders and within the community where it is based.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2011), "Putting people first: Employee retention and organizational performance", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281111096816