FACTORS AFFECTING THE ATTRACTION, DEVELOPMENT AND RETENTION OF MANAGERIAL TALENT WITHIN SUN INTERNATIONAL

Abstract

The purpose of this research report was to explore the factors affecting the attraction, development and retention of managerial talent within Sun International. Five major themes were investigated according to the relevant literature. These were: attraction and retention factors; succession and career management; individual and organisational development; remuneration and benefits; and organisational culture. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire to a sample of Sun International‟s managers from all the divisions. The questionnaire responses were statistically analysed using Factor Analysis. An eleven-factor solution was found to be among the most stable and interpretable and was chosen for interpretation. It was found that individual managers were attracted to an organisation that is a leader in its field both in terms of human resources development issues and customer service to its external customer base. Individual managers perceived the compensation system as fair, and resulting in merit based promotions. The issue of individual development plans based on the performance gaps were seen to be linked to individual managers‟ career growth opportunities. The organisation was perceived as having an empowering culture whereby individual managers were provided with the necessary resources and budgets to perform in their jobs, which was seen as conclusive to the attraction, development and retention of managerial employees. The issues pertaining to financial benefits were perceived to be important as well, although not ranked highest in importance