Title: Employee Retention Strategies: A Systematic Literature Review of Contemporary Human Resource Practices and Future Research Directions
Authors: Yousef Alrefai,
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: 156-164
Publication Date: 2026/08/28
Abstract:
Employee retention has become a strategic priority for organizations striving to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in increasingly dynamic, knowledge-intensive, and technology-driven business environments. The growing costs associated with employee turnover, including recruitment expenses, productivity loss, and organizational knowledge depletion, have intensified the need for effective human resource management (HRM) practices that enhance employee commitment and long-term organizational membership. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) that critically synthesizes contemporary research on employee retention strategies and examines the evolution of HR practices designed to reduce turnover and improve workforce stability. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, relevant peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2025 were systematically identified, screened, and analyzed. The review investigates both traditional and emerging retention practices, including compensation and rewards, career development, employee engagement, leadership, organizational culture, work-life balance, learning and development, Digital Human Resource Management (Digital HRM), people analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The findings indicate that employee retention is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by the interaction of organizational, managerial, technological, and individual factors rather than by isolated HR initiatives. The review further reveals a growing shift from traditional retention approaches toward integrated, employee-centered, and technology-enabled strategies that emphasize employee experience, organizational commitment, and data-driven decision-making. In addition, this study identifies key theoretical, methodological, and contextual gaps within the existing literature and proposes future research directions to advance employee retention scholarship. By integrating fragmented evidence into a comprehensive conceptual perspective, this review contributes to the Human Resource Management literature while providing practical insights for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and policymakers seeking to develop sustainable and evidence-based employee retention strategies.