An Investigation into Improving Employee Engagement and Retention in the Edinburgh Branch of a Global Furniture Retailer
Abstract
Engaging and retaining high quality employees is crucial for business success in the
current economic climate. This research investigates what could be done to improve
employee engagement and retention in an Edinburgh branch of a global retailer, with
a key focus on differences in views between employees with varying length of service.
Specific objectives were aimed at learning more about what motivates and engages
employees in different groups, their reasons for staying with the company and their
suggestions for improving engagement and retention across the organisation. The
research began with a thorough literature review which focused on Herzberg’s seminal
theory, along with more current adaptations on this. It also covered the effect of
intrinsic factors, employee engagement literature and employee retention theories.
Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in three main
Length of Service (LOS) groups; the groups were generated using the existing
quantitative results from the organisation’s annual survey. The interview questions
were a mix of open and closed questions, linked to the research aim and objectives
and focussed around the relevant literature. Thematic analysis was utilised to identify
the key themes and the variances between the LOS groups. The results and discussion
were linked to the research objectives and to relevant literature to help explain the
findings.
There were some noteworthy findings from the research. Communication was a key
recommendation for improving both employee engagement and retention; this focused
on higher level management communicating with employees in their unit and
communication received from the organisation on a global approach. Relationships with colleagues were considered to be very influential in encouraging engagement and
retention. Respondents emphasised the importance of teambuilding activities. No
definitive conclusion could be formed around Herzberg’s theory as some findings
substantiated the theory while others contradicted it.