Employee Development and Retention Strategies in Bayelsa State Local Government Service Commission

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between employee development proxy by continuous development programmes and on-the-job training, retention strategies proxied by competitive pay and career development programmes, and workforce competence and employee retention in Bayelsa State local government service commission. A descriptive correlational research design was used, with surveyed data collected through structured questionnaires on a Five-point Likert scale. The sample consisted of 126 local government employees selected through stratified random sampling, achieving a 94.4% response rate. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation analysis was employed, revealing strong positive correlations between the variables. Continuous employee development programmes had a significant positive correlation with workforce competence (r = 0.82, p < 0.05), while on-the-job training showed a similar correlation (r = 0.79, p < 0.05). Competitive pay (r = 0.85, p < 0.05) and career development programmes (r = 0.80, p < 0.05) were both strongly correlated with employee retention. These findings depicted that employee development and retention strategies are key factors that can influence workforce competence and retention in Bayelsa State local government service commission’s settings. Based on these results, it is recommended that Bayelsa State local government service commission should prioritise continuous development of its employees, incorporate practical training, implement competitive pay structures, and offer career development opportunities to enhance employee competence and retention in the commission.