Title: Factors influencing the retention of international IT talent: an empirical investigation in Singapore

Authors: AAhad M. Osman-Gani; Yongsun Paik

Addresses: Graduate School of Management, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur 53100. Malaysia ' Center for Asian Business, Department of Management, College of Business Administration, Loyola Marymount University, LA, CA, USA

Abstract: In today's global war for corporate business talent, organisations have emphasised attraction methods. But retention of talent - particularly in the competitive IT sector - has not received much attention. The high turnover of talent is increasingly becoming a challenging issue for organisational management, especially for HR professionals. In this regard HRD strategies can play significant roles in helping organisations to win the talent war. Research in this area is scarce. This paper presents the results of an empirical study on the identification of major factors contributing to the retention of international IT talent in Singapore, one of the most vibrant economies of Asia where attraction and retention of IT talent has been an issue of high priority. Among the top five factors, opportunities for training and skills development and career development issues were identified. Implications of the findings are discussed for organisational policy decisions and for future research.

Keywords: talent retention; HRD strategies; human resource development; Singapore; IT training; IT skills development; career development; information technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2016.075366

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2016 Vol.16 No.1/2, pp.1 - 17

Accepted: 08 Mar 2015
Published online: 17 Mar 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article