How To Retain Talent In The Organization

I have no formal training in the fields of human resource management, business, or not-for-profit administration. As such, I visualized an organization’s most valuable asset as something tangible, such as capital investments. Prior to commencing my studies in the MPA program, I had a generally vague concept of the financial and operational implications the loss of key employees would have on an organization. Also, I lacked a real grasp of how severe said losses could be, including the effects they could have on the office environment, including employee morale. Through readings in our class, and in others, it has become clear to me that employee retention is one most important strategic, operational and financial facets of successful human resource management in any organization. I discovered that extensive research exists which addresses topics in human resources, including employee retention. Two such articles, one presented in a scientific context and the other in a more practical context, address the issue of employee attrition. I believe that employee retention is a fine art that must be balanced between an organization’s management and the HRD. Both articles provide valuable information to reduce the likelihood of employee attrition, including techniques and values that must be considered.

Employee attrition can affect an organization’s finances by requiring expenditures to advertise the available position, as well as to recruit and train the candidate. An organization must also contend with the new employee’s decreased productivity until (s)he is performing at the level comparable to that of the former employee. Furthermore, the organization must contend with the loss of customers whose primary allegiance was w...

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...e in achieving the organizational goals of keeping valuable employees.

I believe both articles are of great relevance to practical implications in the not-for-profit sector. As future a future administrator, knowing the great value of an organization’s human capital was enlightening. Even more enlightening was the reinforcement the articles gave me on my beliefs of organizational interconnectedness, especially between the organization’s managers and the HRD. Oftentimes organizational structure leads to psychic separation between different groups. The key to retaining talent and maintaining a successful office environment that breeds happiness, fulfillment and loyalty is a unified effort between different departments within an organization. After all, regardless of the route each department takes, the overall goal is accomplishing the organization’s mission.