Role of Public and Private Universities’ Recruitment and Selection Strategies on Employees Retention in Kenya.

Full Length Research Paper

Role of Public and Private Universities’ Recruitment and Selection Strategies on Employees Retention in Kenya.

John Ouru Nyaegah (PhD)

Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Management, Policy And Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Nairobi P O Box 30197-0100 Nairobi. Kenya

Corresponding author. E-mail: jnyaega@uonbi.ac.ke Phone: +254721343108

Accepted 20 March, 2024

Abstract

To survive in the rapidly changing and competitive global economy, universities in developed and developing countries have recognized human resourcing, selection, retention and employee turnover as among the major concerns facing managers which must be dealt with carefully if they are to keep pace with the stiff competition and realize their desire for improved institutional performance. The study's purpose was to evaluate the role played by recruitment and selection frameworks in the retention of employees in Public and Private Universities. By applying descriptive design and stratified random sampling criteria, the study used 384 respondents out of 50,670 staff members working in the seventy (70) approved Universities. Data which was analyzed by using linear regression models where SPSS Version 23 software was applied, made use of questionnaires as the main research tool to collect data. Based on analyzed data the study established that 58.5% of employee retention was realized as a result of suitable recruitment and selection frameworks put in place by managers of universities who participated in this study. Besides, the study established that employees’ Human Resource Planning framework which registered a P-value of .672 followed by a recruitment framework which had a P-value of .585, and a career development plan whose P-value stood at .584 were the most significant factors that made employee retention in those institutions realizable. The researcher established that Recruitment and Selection strategies played a major role in university employee retention and therefore recommends that, other human resourcing frameworks which include comprehensive medical care for all employees, better remunerations, and pension and leave allowances, among others, be considered by universities' boards of management and councils to further improve employee retention. The study also recommends the need to have one well-structured selection policy which should be adhered to by all universities.

Keywords: Employee Retention; Global Environment, Human Resourcing; Planning framework; Recruitment Strategy; Selection Strategy