EFFECTS OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT ON EMPLOYEE RETENTION IN HOTELS IN KENYA

Abstract

The aim of this research study was to find out the effect of career development practices on employee retention in hotels in Kenya. The hotel industry in Kenya falls short of the industries turnover average and still leads in employee turnover. In the year 2011, labor turnover was at 68% in five star rated hotels. Today, the industry is confronted with the continuously evolving challenge of demand for retention of appropriate talent. Consequently, this has impacted negatively on hotel business sustainability due to high costs of training new employees, replacement and separation for the departing employees as well as affecting customer satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of career development on employee retention in the hotel industry in Kenya. The research problem was studied through the use of a survey research design. The target population of this study comprised of 213 hotels registered under Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers in Kenya. A representative sample of 137 hotels was selected from each hotel region using stratified random sampling. Data was collected using structured questionnaire administered by the researcher to get response from the sample population. A pilot test was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the data collection instruments. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.