Role of Public and Private Universities’ Recruitment and Selection Strategies on Employees Retention in Kenya

To survive in the rapidly changing and competitive global economy, universities in developed and developing countries, have recognized human resourcing, selection, retention and employee turnovers as among the major concerns facing managers which must be dealt with carefully if they are to keep pace with the stiff competition and realize their desire for improved institutional performance. The study’s purpose was to evaluate the role plaid by recruitment and selection frameworks on retention of employees in Public and Private Universities. By applying descriptive design and stratified random sampling criteria, the study used 384 respondents out of 50,670 staff members working in the seventy (70) approved Universities. Data which was analyzed by using linear regression models where SPSS Version 23 software was applied, made use of questionnaires as the main research tool to collect data. Based on analyzed data the study established that 58.5% of employee’s retention was realized as a result of suitable recruitment and selection frameworks put in place by managers of universities who participated in this study. Besides, the study established that employees’ Human Resource Planning framework which registered a P-value of .672 followed by a recruitment framework that had a P-value of .585 and a career development plan whose P-value stood at .584 were most significant factors which made employee retention in those institutions realizable. The researcher established that Recruitment and Selection strategies played a major role in universities employee retention and therefore recommends that, other human resourcing frameworks which includes a comprehensive medical care for all employees, better remunerations, and pension and leave allowances, among others, be given consideration by universities’ boards of management and councils so as to further improve employee retention. The study also recommends the need to have one well-structured selection policy which should be adhered to by all universities.