SELECTION AND RETENTION OF TALENT IN IT INDUSTRY: A STUDY IN THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL

Employee commitment and retention has become an important strategic aspect for the organisation today.. It is not only important to have the best and the most talented employees, but also it is equally necessary to be able to retain them for long term benefits of both the organisation and its people. The purpose of this paper is to throw some light on HR strategies adopted by various IT companies in West Bengal that help them select and retain talent in this competitive market. The study examines the following factors: career development opportunities, effective talent management strategies, recruitment, investment in training and development, compensation and benefits, work life balance, culture of the organisation, leadership, communication, image of the company, autonomy and empowerment, personal causes, role of HR head and supervisors, work related policies and flexi time, performance appraisals and career growth and development opportunities. It has been found that there is no uniform strategy that shows the significant influence of all these above factors because different organisations lay varied emphasis on these triggers depending upon their suitability impacting retention. Based on responses of different companies, suggestions are drawn which give a holistic view on the various practices that organizations should adopt to keep the rate of employee retention and commitment high.