| Attracting, recruiting, and retaining skilled employees is a challenge for retail organizations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how retail organizational leaders might reduce turnover and recruitment challenges and increase employee retention rates in Oakland, California. Reddin's change theory and Peterson's organizational model of employee persistence formed the conceptual framework for the study. A purposive sample of 20 participants (including graduates, recruiters, managers, and educators) completed semistructured interviews and described their personal experiences. Data were analyzed incorporating van kaam's technique to code and cluster information into themes. The study findings indicated there is a high turnover within retail organizations and salaries are low relative to other careers such as accounting. Results indicated there is little opportunity for advancement and lack of effective communication is evident between supervisors and employees especially after performance evaluations. Participants suggested that retailers should increase pay rates; encourage employee participation in decision-making process; utilize dispute-resolution to resolve grievances before they escalate to turnover; collaborate with educators in preparing students for retail employment; and embark on internship programs and on-campus hiring to improve recruitment, turnover, and employee retention challenges. Retail organizational leaders could apply these findings to develop better recruitment, turnover, and retention strategies. Implications for positive social change include the possibility of low labor costs resulting from reduced turnover, which may increase organizations' profits and employment opportunities for skilled workers. |
