Effect of Recruitment and Selection on Employee Retention : Mediating Factor of Employee Engagement

Purpose: This study aims at identifying the effect recruitment and selection has on employee retention in selected SMEs in Nigeria, using employee engagement as a mediating variable.Design/Methodology/Approach: It employed descriptive research design, stratified sampling technique and questionnaires as instruments for gathering the much needed dataFindings: Findings revealed among others, that recruitment and selection on their own has no substantial effect on employee retention, but with the combination of employee engagement, a strong significance on employee retention can be achieved. Conclusively, employee engagement mediates the outcome of recruitment and selection on employee retention.Research limitations: This study has two limitations. First, though employment cuts various sectors of the Nigerian economy, this study only dwelt on the SMEs. Second, the study utilized the quantitative method, further studies can utilise either the qualitative or mixed method approaches.Pratical implications: Based on the findings, the study recommends among others that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) management should endeavor to carry out a robust recruitment and selection process to ensure that they recruit talents that are valuable, uncommon, inimitable, and not substitutable. However, they should also, ensure to implement employee engagement strategies so as to retain the selected talents in the firm.Originality/Value: To the best of this researcher’s knowledge and the various literatures reviewed, no study has been conducted within the Nigerian setting and at this time on the effect of recruitment and selection on employee retention: mediating factor of employee engagement