Causes of Faculty Turnover and Strategies for Their Retention in Higher Education
Exploring the Causes of Faculty Turnover and Effective Retention Strategies in Higher Education
by C. Madhuri*, Dr. V. Sundaresan,
- Published in Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, E-ISSN: 2230-7540
Volume 13, Issue No. 1, Apr 2017, Pages 732 - 736 (5)
Published by: Ignited Minds Journals
ABSTRACT
Employee retention is a process that any organizations utilize to pave the ways for employees to stay with organizations for a long time. According to Jim Collins “Great vision without great people is irrelevant”. Organizations just follow it. Organizations run smoothly and face challenges efficiently with the help of good people. So, it is necessary to introduce better retention policy. In business management term, “Employee retention” refers to efforts of an employer for retaining current employees in the organization. An efficient employee retention program makes the current employees committed to their current employer. Such an employee retention program develops an environment through the correct types of policies and practices where various needs of the employees are taken care of. In the education sector India, employee retention is considered one of the biggest challenges for employers. This study finds challenging responsibilities and job satisfaction is two prime parameters in employee retention. We have attempted through this study to focus on various reasons of high faculty turnover in India and strategies that management can apply to increase faculty retention.
KEYWORD
employee retention, organizations, faculty turnover, strategies, higher education, challenges, job satisfaction, management, India, policies
I. INTRODUCTION
―Our assets walk out of the door each evening. We have to make sure that they come back the next morning‖- Narayan A. Murthy (Founder President Infosys). Since employee retention has become a key challenge to the organizations today irrespective of industries. Saving a resignation is equivalent to thousands of rupees earned for an organization. In the education sector, a faculty holds a prime position and provides one of the most important services not only to the institute they work for but also for the nation as a whole. As a mentor, they are always the role model of the students under them. Employee retention is nothing but motivating the employees so that they remain committed to the organization and feel that they are working in the right organization. In India, employee retention is a tough challenge for higher education institutes. This is sometimes called ―talent retention‖ also. In higher education, it is a crucial part of management as an institutes reputation depends a lot on the strength of the faculty. Through this research paper, we are investigating the best solutions for employee retention and also trying to describe its importance.
II. EMPLOYEE RETENTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA
For any institute, a strong faculty is the most valuable asset for the institute. In today‘s job market, talented job seekers have a high demand. Hence, these job seekers switch their current organizations if dissatisfied for any reason whatsoever. The top-most educational institutes of the country like the IITs and IIMs are maintaining high standards and qualities for which they have been able to retain their faculty members for years (Brockbank, 1999). Teachers possessing higher abilities and high qualities impart quality education that helps in the comprehensive development of the students.
III. CAUSES OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
A. Lack of Recognition
Every employee in a workplace wants recognition for a job accomplished as per the expectation of the management (Brown, et. al., 2008). They do not want
employee has many positive outcomes. It keeps the employees motivated, at the same time; it strengthens the positive actions and behaviors of the employees. If an employee feels neglected even after accomplishing a job successfully, their enthusiasm for the job as also for the commitment to the organization degrades.
B. Attractive salary or compensation package
Attractive salary or compensation package plays a crucial part in employee retention. It is, in fact, is a major part of any employee retention process. Every employee possesses an expectation level regarding their salary or compensation. This includes basic salary and fringe benefits. Faculty members are motivated when their management pays then incentives for extra work accomplished. It is often found that poor salary structures demoralize the faculty members. In those institutes, the turnover rates are also high.
C. Lack of Challenges
Employee satisfaction is key to the success of a business. If the employees are satisfied, the turnover rate decreases simultaneously. Lack of challenges in a job is another prime reason for high turnover. Good employees want challenges where they can show their abilities; otherwise, they feel dissatisfied. An employee when finds a job interesting puts their best effort in it. However, they may feel fed up if they don‘t find any motivation to do the same job over and again. Repetitive job reduces an individual‘s longing to their best in the job. In such a condition, employees come to work daily but the quality of their work deteriorates. This is what happens in the institutes. A syllabus remains the same for at least 5 years. Thus, the faculty members are forced to teach the same texts over and again. This monotonous job increases the tendency of job switching and resignations.
D. More Clerical work and Less Creative Work
Creativity keeps the jobs interesting and challenging to the employees. These types of jobs make the whole work environment positive and favorable to the employees. It is natural for the employees to seek creative and challenging jobs; otherwise, they lose interest. In India, the teachers are forced to do different types of clerical works that take much of their working time almost daily (Eisenberger, et. al., 2002). Hence, teachers have less time for creative and innovative works. This induces them to resign
E. Lack of Job Rotation
In India, higher education is mostly theory oriented. There is a very feeble practical aspect in higher education.
F. Work Culture and Work Environment
The workplace is another prime cause of high turnover in the institutes. Employees expect a friendly and comfortable work environment. This is the reason for frequent job switching. Unfavorable work culture brings unwanted pressure and stress on the employees which are one of the prime reasons for the high rate of resignation.
G. Favoritism and Nepotism Favoritism is favoring an employee not because of his performance but due to something not directly related to the job. This often happens when higher management develops a friendly relationship with the employees outside the workplace. In the higher education institutes, this happens when a HOD or Principal develops a personal relationship with the employees. This happens due to various reasons like they have worked together in some other institutes previously or they meet regularly outside for a common reason like sports. Unnecessary and frequent favoritism creates a negative impact on employees. The whole environments corrupt in the long-run. When favoritism and nepotism become a practice, they bring a number of negative outcomes like lower levels of morality, stunted growth, hatred, antipathy, and many more. In that condition, loyal and talented employees feel neglected to result in a high rate of turnover. H. Family Conditions
Family is a priority for everyone, especially women employees. For a majority of women employees, family conditions have a vital role in job switch and resignations. Female faculties often leave their jobs when their spouses are transferred. When the husband of a female faculty member is transferred to somewhere else, she also needs to go with her husband and family; Medical conditions like pregnancy and weakness also force the female faculty members to leave a job.
I. Imbalance in Work Life
The work-life imbalance is another prime cause of high turnover rate in the education sector in India. When a faculty member remains personally disturbed and dissatisfied, they naturally try to leave the current job. Odd location of the workplace, lack of cleanliness, and lack of amenities, poor
Work-Life imbalance leading to resignations and switching.
J. Lack of Expected Academic Leadership
Lack of expected academic leadership is another prominent cause of high turnover rate in the academic arena in India. Leaders are more focused on business and profit. They pay less or no attention to faculty members. Academic leaders should pay optimum attention to the faculty so that every member stays committed to the institute. Academic leaders like HOD and Principal should provide all necessary support to the faculty members and try their best to provide them a positive ambiance where the members could work enthusiastically. Academic leaders should also ensure that the institutes carry positive values so that faculty members feel proud to be the parts of such institutes (Herzberg, 1966). It is sometimes seen that faculty members remain committed to their leaders but not to the organization because they could not point out any strong values to the organization. Quality of faculty members and students determine the quality of an organization. Academic leaders have a vital role to play in improving those qualities.
K. Students
Students are a fundamental part of any education system. Everything in an education system is created or planned to keep the focus on the needs and demands of the students. If the students are cultured and attentive, teachers get an interest in teaching. Poor quality of students can be a reason for high turnover. An institute can maintain its position by maintaining the quality of the students and teachers.
L. Lack of the Sense of Belongingness
The growth of an organization depends a lot on the employees‘ attitudes and performances. Moreover, attitudes determine the quality of performance. If the attitudes of the employees towards the organization are poor, they become harmful for the organization. Every leader needs to take this into account. To help the academic leaders in this matter, there is the Transactional Analysis Theory. According to this theory, there are four life positions: 1. I am not feeling OK, you seem OK. 2. Neither I nor you are OK. 3. I am feeling OK, you seem not OK. 4. I am OK, you are OK. complex in the first person. In the second position, both persons possess inferiority complex. The third position depicts the superiority complex along with some sort of aggressiveness. The fourth position represents boldness and it is an ideal situation. Majority of the employees tend to adopt any one of the first three positions; hence, it hinders the growth of right attitude or a sense of belongingness. Thus, the lack of the sense of belongingness becomes a prime reason for high employee turnover.
IV. IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
Similar to other sectors, employee turnover is also affected by higher education. In case the above is not considered important, it has a significant impact on the education Quality. The effects include:
A. Impact on Students and Academics
As of now, employability is one of the most important issues. In case organization take hold of the faculty members, it will help students get placed and better the development process (Kelloway and Barling, 2000). Owing to the turnover of faculty, both the student growth and academics deteriorates. It is necessary for the students to begin from start while incorporating methods to add a new member of faculty. This wastes student‘s time and is capable of reflecting a negative impact on subject.
B. Cost Involved in The Process of Recruitment
While conducting recruitment, it is necessary for the employers to put up advertisement and indulge into various rounds of interview. The above process is both lengthy, consumes time and is also expensive. Unnecessarily, organizations have to indulge in multiple manpower acts to complete the above process. In order to deter the above, employers can add internal methods to recruit saving money, time and energy.
C. Risk of Employing Inexperienced and New Candidates
Turnover of faculty is seen to increase the risk associated with recruitment of people that have lesser experience. This paves way for recruiting members for part time, freelancers, and this is not thought to be of high quality by the students and fails to meet the competition existing in the market.
D. Cost Involved in Training a Candidate
Seeing a faculty member quilting organization, it is necessary that new members get recruited. And the one that joins new needs time to cope with the
money to do the same. And this is merely a waste.
V. STRATEGIES TO RETAIN FACULTY MEMBERS
"Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus" -Jim Collins As rightly stated, good employees work for the benefit of the organization and so it is desirable to keep them up on your bus. Given below are few strategies that help organization keep up with the good employees.
A. Give Job Rotation
Job rotation also referred to as cross training is no doubt the core of on job training. It is seen that job rotation is about keeping employees at the optimal places that will help drive better results. The notified heads provide subjects to all the members of faculty in a rotational phase and this helps stay by the interest in a specific subject, study and learn new subjects and also retain the subject interest for long and this does not need to be routinely. Undeniably, job rotation is very crucial and can be viewed from varied perspective which enables users to expand to fascination, seek new skills, interest and knowledge and allow the seniors to unveil hidden talent.
B. Salary
It is necessary for the organization to provide a lump sum amount and additional rewards to the employees, fulfilling the need of the individual and attract them to the job. Additionally, it is seen that special packages appear to tempt academicians and help leverage the turnover. Providing bonuses to the employees for excellent work in a way boost the interest of other to do similar work.
C. Sabbaticals
It is necessary that organizations provide study leaves as well as sabbaticals to all the members of faculty so that the organization retains a particular talent. The leaders of academics must encourage and also support the members of faculty to indulge into research work, motivate and encourage them to be part of workshops, research papers and seminars and likewise appear effective in self-improvement.
D. Flexible Work Hours
Similar to the corporate world, the institues of academics must assess performance with respect to achievements of said targets and help employees strive towards driving a balance between working hours and life. The leader must effectively alot work work, both the employer and the employee pop out efficiently. Promoting the setting of life goals of employee, speeding considerable amount of time at home suggest that they want you to own a life apart from the work.
E. Make Employees Feel Valued
Employees are ready to put in their best if they are credited for the work done. In order to strive for higher performance, it is necessary to motivate them with rewards. Rewards given must have the power to motivate. Additional, provision of gifts to the employees in festive season makes them feel valued and they own a belief that management thinks about them, thereby drafting a sense of attachment between the both.
F. Maternity and Paternity Leave
Institutions must implement provision of leaves as paternity or maternity. Also, organization can start daycares for employee‘s kids and this in a way induces a sense of reliving stress of employee and this in a way increases the employee retention rate.
G. Provide Job Security
One of the most important concerns of every employee is stability and security of job. All employees seek job stability and so organization and academic institues must provide the same. In cases where an employee is doubtful of its job security, he is more like to switch.
H. Project Development for Students
Leaders of academic own the power to motivate the member of faculty and add new projects of research in their field. This aids better understanding of instrument by the students. Also, the leaders must promote the in house lab developments among both the students and the employee for activities that help satisfy the need to be a part of organization for long.
I. Exposure to Industry and New Technology
All the academic institutes must open their faculty members to range of technologies along with trends via seminars, interaction between industry and Institue and workshops. Interaction between the industry and Institue is important as owing to the above program, the faculty members have the power to learn about range of technologies (Mowday, et. al., 1982). This aids placement of
J. Foster Trust and Confidence in Senior Leaders
It is necessary that a relationship between the employees and organization is set up from the beginning. It is necessary that employers have a view of competency of upper management and believe the organization to be successful. Also, the organization needs to promote the employee and engage them in policies to rule out the authoritarian form of management.
K. Facility of Health Insurance
An additional benefit to all employees is health insurance. It has the provision of saving money and also provides the peace of mind with the view that someone would take care of themselves. As of now, the education sector lacks such provision. By providing such facilities, the organizations are capable of attracting employees and also retain them.
L. Relationships and Communication
Many times building a relationship between the employees and leaders work for the organization (Steers and Porter, 1983). The management can include seniors to draft policies and activities of decision making which in a way voices the problems of members inducing the sense of value in minds of all. Also faculty members could give suggestions to the management periodically for the implementation of strategies and plans thereby adiing a healthy environment.
VI. BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEERETENTION
All organizations of the education sector should acknowledge the fact that people are of core importance. In the absence of skilled people, organization would fail to attain their objectives. Additionally, long term employees add to the reputation of the company. Retention of employees maintains the education quality, save time and money of the process of recruitment and provides employee satisfaction.
VII. CONCLUSION
Both talent management and the retention rate of employees act a sword. If used effectively, it can drive better results and otherwise spoil the whole scenario. To retain employees, proper strategies need to be implemented. The above include knowing employees view, their opinion accepts provide rewards for added performance and show concern balance between work and life with added opportunities for growth. All such strategies are effective when an organization seek to obtain higher retention rate.
REFERENCES
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Corresponding Author C. Madhuri*
Research Scholar, Department of Management, Mewar University, Rajasthan, India madhuribala141105@gmail.com