Talent Retention in the Nigerian Civil Service: Assessing the Impact of Compensation and Career Development

Abstract

This research assessed the influence of compensation and career development on employee retention in Nigeria's civil service as a result of the recurring challenge of high turnover rates. There were reports that more than 48% of the civil servants contemplated resignation because they felt underpaid and did not have sufficient career advancement opportunities. The Nigerian civil service, being the mainstay of government administration, experienced severe retention issues, which had effects on the delivery of services and policy implementation. The study examined the influence of some compensation and career development strategies on staff retention. Social Exchange Theory and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory were used as the theoretical frameworks to explain the operation of reciprocity and motivation in retaining civil servants. The study employed a descriptive study design on the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Lagos State Civil Service, Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Office of the Head of Service, which were selected purposely due to their size and ongoing workforce reform. A sample of 452 management and staff, including civil servants, was surveyed through hard and soft copies of questionnaires and data were analysed using SEM-Partial Least Square (PLS).