Talent Retention Strategies Employed at a Tertiary Institution in the Gauteng Province of South Africa

Talent retention is a critical concern for tertiary institutions seeking to maintain academic excellence, institutional stability, and sustainable growth. Amidst increasing competition for skilled academic and administrative staff, the institution has implemented a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing employee satisfaction, engagement, and long-term commitment. This research report investigated talent retention strategies employed at a tertiary institution in South Africa. Tertiary institutions in South Africa are required to be competitive in order to achieve their strategic goals for them to be relevant in the sector. Using a qualitative research approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. A convenient sample size of (10) was utilised in the execution of this research. The sample was drawn from both administrative, academic and senior management staff of the institution. Data were collected with the aid of an in-depth semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis was used to the analyse data. Obtained data shows that the tertiary institution under study employs financial, non-financial rewards and counteroffer to retain its staff. The study recommended that management of tertiary institution in South Africa should put talent retention as a priority to ensure the competitive advantage of tertiary institution in the education sector.