Impact of Career Development on Employee Retention in Osun State Polytechnic Iree

ABSTRACT

The most perpetual challenge in most organizations today is lack of a well-structured career development and employee retention programme. This has heightened the need for career development programmes 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 whether career development practices affect employee retention; to assess the extent to which mentoring, and coaching relate to employee retention; to evaluate the impact of job enrichment on employee retention and to determine the influence of career planning on employee retention. The study used descriptive, correlation and regression survey designs. The population of this study was a total of 796 employees while the sample size was 50 and copies of questionnaires were found valid for the study. 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 Osun State Polytechnic, Iree as most respondents’ exhibit conformity to career planning best practices. Training and development are also found to be satisfactory in the study area according to most respondents as indicated by support given to the programmes both by the participants and the management of the institution. Coaching and mentoring are further found to be moderately to highly practiced at the institution, to which respondents expressed satisfactory levels. Against this background, inferential results further revealed that among other factors, career planning, training and development, coaching and mentoring career counselling, are key influences of employee retention at the institution. Together these career development practices facilitate employee engagement and job retention. This in turn reduces turnover and increase productivity. The study concludes that career development plays a vital role in retaining employees within Osun State Polytechnic, Iree. Employees who perceive opportunities for advancement, mentoring, and growth tend to demonstrate higher loyalty and commitment to their employer. The study recommends that the Polytechnic should continuously provide relevant training opportunities to help staff acquire new skills aligned with technological and academic advancements. Training should be systematic, inclusive, and linked to career progression.