The Influence of Human Resource Management Practices on Employees Retention: (A case of Commercial Banks in Nairobi County, Kenya)

Effective Human Resource practices provide a supportive work environment that affords \nopportunities to grow and develop. In turn, the organization profits from the quality service \n. provided by competent and loyal employees. Commercial banks in Kenya, have strategically \npositioned themselves in different areas in the country with a sole aim of reaching its customers. \nThe banks therefore are faced with a challenge of losing its employees to its competitors in the \nsame tier or in other tiers. Despite the recognition of the turbulent nature of the operating \nenvironment of the commercial banks in Kenya, there had been no study that has concentrated on \nthe influence of human resources management practices on employees' retention in commercial \nbanks in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of human \nresources management practices on employees' retention where the focus was on commercial \nbanks in Nairobi County, Kenya. This research was studied through the use of a descriptive \nresearch design, The target respondents included 858 top, middle and low level management \nstaffs drawn from 39 commercial banks operating in Nairobi County. Stratified random sampling \ntechnique was used where a sample of 10% (86 respondents) were selected. The study used a \nsurvey questionnaire administered individually to all respondents of the study. Quantitative data \ncollected was analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics using SPSS· and presented through \npercentages, means, standard deviations and frequencies. The information was displayed by use \nof bar charts, graphs and pie charts and in prose-form. The study found that compensation, \nleadership, job placement and training influences retention of employees in the banks. Job \nsatisfaction, monetary benefits such as pay rise, security of tenure, the respect of colleagues and \npromotion opportunities, encouraging creativeness, creating and sharing an organizational goal, \nquality and quantity of work, skills necessary to efficiently and productively carry out assigned \ntasks and attitudes towards other co-workers affect employee retention. The study recommends \nthat better and advanced compensation strategies should be introduced as a way of satisfying the \nemployees in the banks. The banks should embrace proper leadership styles that inspire a shared \nvision, seeking broad input, and encouraging everyone to think of a new and better future. The \nbanks need to employ various job placement strategies in recruiting staff such as use of \ncommissioning procurement agencies. The banks should conduct regular staff training to help \nthem further their knowledge and skills and enable employees to perform better after the \ntraining: