Exploring the Factors Triggering Employee Turnover in Banking Sector of Pakistan

Abstract

Employee turnover has become one of the major challenges in the banking industry of Pakistan; high rate of attrition has affected organizational performance, increased recruitment and training costs as well as undermined service quality. Despite the sector being central to the national economic stability and growth, banks are still faced with a challenge of retaining talented employees, a phenomenon that is attributable to job dissatisfaction, lack of career advancement, work-life imbalance, and ineffective compensation framework. The main problem lies in the lack of understanding of the interplay of such determinants on turnover decisions in the unique context of socio-cultural and economic environment in Pakistan. The current research aims to fill this gap by examining the causal factors of employee turnover not in aggregate statistical trends, but in the experience of the subject employees. The research is based on a qualitative research design that is in the form of in-depth interviews and focus group discussion with current and former banking professionals to elicit fine details and bring out shared themes. The results should provide some insight into organizational and individual-level predictors, thereby, creating particular retention strategies. The preferred outcome is to provide an evidence-based answer that can assist policymakers and banking institutions in devising viable human- resource practices in order to raise the rates of commitment, turnover, and resilience of the banking sector in Pakistan.