Employee Retention Essay On Key Challenges In Attracting And Preserving Workforce In Education Sector

Question

Task: There are two choices (will be announced) for Essay 3 – for example, the ‘X’ sector, or the ‘Y’ sector.
You will write an essay on the key challenges in attracting and retaining a workforce in your selected sector.
Your essay will draw on at least five themes from Week 1 to Week 11 of this unit, being those most relevant to your selected industry sector.
Your essay will draw on the academic literature (including the articles from ‘Reviewing the Literature’ you developed for Assessment 2), and develop an argument applying that literature to your selected sector

Answer

Introduction
The current study of Employee retention essay is based on the retaining and attracting in education sector. In present era of higher level of competition, it is becoming essential and necessary for most of the firm in creating better engagement and retention of their employee base so that they can create a competitive edge over its rivals. The study will be discussing the ways in which firms attracts their employees and what are the different motives underlining it. However, the study will even be discussing the ways in which the enterprises even retain their employees and the motives behind it. The chosen sectors for this study will be education. Within the study, there will be discussions regarding the various policies of methods, which will further help in determining the most effective strategy of retention and attraction. Additionally, the study will even be considering the literatures of other authors, which will allow the essay in receiving the   essential information related to the selected topic.

Discussion
Theme 1: Need and importance of employee attraction
 According to the study of Onah & Anikwe (2016) organizations and workplace has become more and more demanding and tempestuous. The level of competitiveness among organization has enormously escalated in the past few decades. Organization recognizes that staff members are its most critical asset and they are very clear with their need and understands the importance of the employee attraction in the organization. The needs and importance of employees attraction differs from sector to sector. Similarly, the educational sector is also struggling in this race of competition with its rivals and trying to attract members that are more talented and retain them.

Employee attraction maybe defined as getting potential aspirants and make the organization a pragmatic place of work. Attraction of employee is one of the important part of any organization for its success. Educational sector or an educational institute can attract talented candidates by giving a better platform to work and recognition to the employees. As opined by  Onah & Anikwe (2016) one of the progressively attracting tool of educational sector is maintaining effectual employer brand policy. This tool mentioned in this Employee retention essay mainly deals with creating a website fort the aspiring candidates to register themselves in an online pool of talent. Attracting potential candidates and retaining them is one of the crucial part of educational institute. In educational sector candidate, mainly focus on few thing, which attract them and make them work for the institute. The candidates look for better a good working and learning atmosphere, flexibility in job, rewards for their efforts and recognition for their hard work and training and development. The sector should mainly focus on all these factors and as any ambitious candidate will look for these features in the institute, where ever he/she will join.

The educational sector should mainly focus on attracting potential employees by using these key factors of employee attraction. The need of employee attraction is one of the key aspect of any sector as employees play the chief role in success of that institute or organization. The institute can attract the candidates by providing realistic offers to the candidates. Providing a healthy working area and having skill development class not only enhances the present candidates but also influence the candidates whom are looking for better are to work. Any institute is gets its fame because of its working environment and its employs and by the brand image of the institute. Brand image of the institute also plays an important in attracting employees. In addition, as opined by Saurombe, Barkhuizen & Schutte (2017) creating a strong brand image of the institute helps to attract more talented academic staff for then institute than for not so famous brands of institute. Brand image mentioned in this Employee retention essay has a great impact on the aspiring staffs as they look for the better and strong image to where they want to work.

Theme 2: Issues related to the process of attraction of employees
The study of Raja & Kumar(2016), it is understood that employees and it process of attraction can required huge amount of time and this can stand out to be expensive for organization that are in the education sectors. In an addition to this, the study even upholds that there are other factors as well that can be an issue in the process of employee attraction and they are investment and insecurity among employees. This further helps in understanding that it is essential for organizations in creating positive working environment. The study of Raja & Kumar (2016), also mentions that employees in education sector are eager to know whether they are being treated fairly or not, which can create an immense impact on the employee attraction. On the other hand, the study of Tyagi, Singh & Aggarwal (2017), states that shortage of competent and shortage of qualified faculty can be an issue in attraction of employees in educational sector. Redefining of the values in front of the employees can be another challenge.

It is even identified from the study of Tyagi, Singh & Aggarwal (2017) and mentioned in this Employee retention essay that in Indian education sector the reason for their failure in attracting talents is because of inexistence of talent management strategies.  This statement is further agreed by the study of Okonkwo (2015), where it can be found that even in UK higher education sector management of talents is one of the issues. It can even be couched that it is becoming essential for the educational organizations in developing better practices, which can aid in attracting and engaging better talents for their future. As mentioned in the study of Sheikh (2017), in India, more than 25% of the teaching posts are vacant nationally and 57% of the faculties that are in college lacks in their masters or in their PhD degrees. This shows that it is becoming essential to uplift the standard of education so that the future generation can receive a better group of teachers.

Many polytechnic colleges in India are still facing the challenge of acquiring better talents for their faculties, which sometimes leads to their dissolvement, showing the huge amount of requirement for talents in the market. It is identified in this Employee retention essay that another essential and most effective issue is lack of talents and this is affecting the recruitment process of education practitioners or academic staffs in various colleges and universities. The study of Dave & Raval (2015), has identified that there is another factor that limits employee attraction in this sector and that is job monotony. It can be assessed that employees does not try to engage them in this sector because they need to do the same job on a daily basis and they does not receive any scope for future growth.

Theme 3: Importance of employee retention
Employee retention is as important as employee attraction. Engaging an employee in the work is not where the work ends. Retention of candidates plays an important role in overall growth of the educational institute. The educational institute solely depends on its employee’s loyalties and its commitments. The institute should focus on how to retain its potential candidates and make them work for their institute for longer rime as losing an important as well as knowledgeable candidate can be a great loss for the institute. In this fast pacing world where competition is at the edge, where every sector and every institute or organization is in a verge of beating each other with their performance losing a skilled staff to a competitor will not at all be a good choice.

Providing necessary perquisite to the employees for their retention is important. As in this competitive world, academic staffs are the masters of the institutes as their potential builds up the institute’s image. According to Bibi, Pangil  & Ahmad (2017)  employees are the most precious assets of any institute or organization and retain them is one of the key aspects of the institute. The retention of employees discussed in this Employee retention essay is as important as retaining them. Candidates’ retention is a process, which deals with creating an atmosphere in the institute for the employee, which makes them, stay for longer period. Retention of employees is considered as an important source of attaining competitive margin in a market place. As opined by Chaudhary & Bhaskar (2016) the retention of employee related with training and development of the employees. After attracting the employees, the retention of employees should be conducted in specific way that it should make the employee feel its importance in the institute and the institute should treat its employees as an important asset.

 The retention of employees is as important as the brand image of the institute or its work force. Motivating the employees and providing skill and development courses for their development is also very important as the motivation and effort of academic staffs directly affects the image and value of the institute. The institute should render training and learning course and management development skills to its staff members. In addition, Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk (2015) states that talent retention is becoming a major concern in South African institutes. Therefore, the educational institute should take steps for the retention of the academic staffs. The institute should take surveys, get knowledge of the issues related with the employees, and try to solve them. These steps helps the employees to retain them and make them feel secured for their job as the management is taking care of their issues. Additionally it is also mentioned in Employee retention essay that fulfilling staffs requirements and offering them with rewards for their extra effort will help them to retain in the institute.

Theme 4: Ways through which employee retention can be done
Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk (2015), mentions that better perks and rewards to the employees of an education sector can help in retaining them for a longer period of time. However, the study of Dave & Raval (2015), also helps in understanding that it is essential for the developers of education institutes in providing scope to the talents so that they can make career progress while working for them, this can help the employees to feel more and to work more for the organizations. Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk (2015), found out that there are three different variables that influence the turnover rate of the employees in an educational sectors and they are environmental variables, individual variables and structural variables. In environmental variable, opportunity, kingship responsibilities are considered, while under individual variables training job involvement, job satisfaction and rewards are considered. Lastly, under structural variables social support, promotional chances, routinisation and compensation are considered. It is becoming essential for the developers of the educational institutes in managing these variables in proper way so that the employees can be retained for lengthier periods.

Moreover, Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk (2015), mentions that the workforce as the indicator of organization’s intention can perceive the behaviour of the leaders of an organization. This concept of perception helps in determining that it is essential for the firms in selecting the eligible person as their leader, which can create values of the organization among the employees. With the help of selection of proper leader, the employees can feel more connected with their institution, and this can push the academic staffs to stay with the organization for long term.  Reward is another way that can help the firms in retaining the workforce for a lengthier span (Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk, 2015). Addition to this, the study of Prerna (2018), states that feedback and mentoring can be effective in retaining the academic staffs. Development of periodic sessions among the managers of the institutions with their staffs can be effective which can help the management in understanding the needs and demands of the workforce, which on the other side will make the employees feel familiar with them.

Theme 5 of Employee retention essay: Issues related to retention of employees
The issue that can be identified from the study of Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk (2015), that conflict between employees and employer can be an issue, which can lead to voluntary turnover. It is essential for the developers of the educational institutes in developing friendly relationship among the management with its employees and this can help in overcoming such issue. The study of Erasmus, Grobler & Van Niekerk (2015), also reflects that employees that are there within the organization should be provided with proper pay structure. Inadequate compensations can allow an educational institute in facing larger rate of employee turnover. Additionally, the study of Tyagi, Singh & Aggarwal (2017), claims that it is identified that work-life balance is an issue. However, it is essential for the employees of an educational organization in receiving balanced time for both work and family. This can motivate the employees to be retained for a longer span.

In the study of Al-Dossary (2017), it is noticed that the teachers are not aware of their job description, which shows that faulty communication process can be an issue. This can lead to increased turnover ratio within an educational institute. It is because of lack in orientation training. Furthermore, the survey in the study of Al-Dossary (2017), also reflects in this Employee retention essay that most of the selected candidates have mentioned that they are not updated about the benefit of available resources, doing this can bring interest of their employees, which can further help them in retaining for a longer timeframe.

Globalisation of technology and interference of Artificial intelligence has made a huge impact on the educational sector, therefore attracting skilled staffs and retaining them has become a major issue. Retention of skilled candidates in this field is getting tougher day by day as the expectation of the employees are rising rapidly. Many factors are related with retention of the employees’, as in this cutthroat market, employees wish to have a well-defined path for their career, which will make them retain on the institute as losing their job for AI is not acceptable by the potential candidates . Unrealistic demand for compensation for their work is getting higher day by day. These demands are usually remains unfulfilled which make the employees feel dissatisfied and make them hunt for a new job with better opportunities. Unappreciation of employees for their efforts sometimes makes them seek acknowledgment from other ways. Therefore, recognition of the individual mentioned in this Employee retention essay is also important but demanding for it every time may be possible for the company to fulfil it, which will make the employee feeling unwanted and understated. In addition, as AI is making a huge impact of educational sector candidates are being replaced by the new technology, which is making them, feel cheated and undeserving Wisskirchen et al (2017). With the fast changing world, adapting new and useful resources is necessary to move forward along with other rivals but affording both employees and tech will be a costly issue for the institute and therefore retention of employees is getting tougher.

Conclusion
From the above Employee retention essay, it can be concluded that whether it is educational sector  any other sector employees’ are the bottom line of the institute or organization, and managing them well with the given strategies will help make better-working environment. The strategies are mainly attracting engaging and retaining of the employees. Use of reward polices can be a form of employee retention strategy used by the organization. However, it is even identified that money is not the only factor that motivates the employees’ but it is their effort and motivation towards the institute, which helps the institute to run flexibly and smoothly. Many ways can be adopted for attracting and retaining employees, as they are the master of the institute and the main leads. However, bit is also seen in the above study that retention of employees is also getting tougher day by day because of many new aspects. No matter what retaining a skilled staff is should be the goal of the institute. Lastly is can be concluded that retention of employee is also important other than attracting them.

Reference List
Al-Dossary, H. (2017). ORIENTATION TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES TO REDUCE THE TURNOVER RATE IN AJAD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL [Ebook] (3rd ed.). Asia Pacific Institute of Advanced Research (APIAR). Retrieved from https://apiar.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/4_APJCECT_v3i2_Edu-36-61.pdf

Bibi, P., Pangil, F., Johari, J., & Ahmad, A. (2017). The Impact of Compensation and Promotional Opportunities on Employee Retention in Academic Institutions: The Moderating Role of Work Environment. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11(1).

Chaudhary, N. S., & Bhaskar, P. (2016). Employee retention essay Training and development and job satisfaction in education sector. Training and Development, 2(8).

Dave, N., & Raval, D. (2015). Review of literature on the study of Job satisfaction of the teachers of higher education institutions. International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies, 3(5).

Erasmus, B. J., Grobler, A., & Van Niekerk, M. (2015). Employee retention in a higher education institution: An organisational development perspective. Progressio, 37(2), 33-63.

Erasmus, B. J., Grobler, A., & Van Niekerk, M. (2015). Employee retention in a higher education institution: An organisational development perspective. Progressio, 37(2), 33-63.

Okonkwo, O. (2015). Talent management in the UK higher education institutions-setting a research agenda.

Onah, F. O., & Anikwe, O. S. (2016). The task of attraction and retention of academic staff in Nigeria universities. Journal of Management and Strategy, 7(2), 9-20.

Prerna, C. (2018). Employee engagement and its effect on organizational commitment and job performance A study of higher education institutions. Available at: https://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/5765/1/pdf.pdf

Raja, D., & Kumar, R. A. R. (2016). A Study on Employee Retention in Education Sector in India. International Journal of Management (IJM), 7(3).

Saurombe, M., Barkhuizen, E. N., & Schutte, N. E. (2017). Management perceptions of a higher educational brand for the attraction of talented academic staff. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(1), 1-10.

Sheikh, Y. A. (2017). Employee retention essay Higher Education in India: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(1), 39-42.

Tyagi, M. S., Singh, D., & Aggarwal, M. T. (2017). TALENT MANAGEMNT IN EDUCATION SECTOR. International Journal on Cybernetics & Informatics, 6(1/2), 47.

Wisskirchen, G., Biacabe, B. T., Bormann, U., Muntz, A., Niehaus, G., Soler, G. J., & von Brauchitsch, B. (2017). Artificial intelligence and robotics and their impact on the workplace. IBA Global Employment Institute, 2012-2017.