Talent Management and Employee Retention: Assessing the Influence of Career Development, Workplace Well-Being and Organizational Commitment

Abstract

Talent management has become a strategic human resource priority as organizations increasingly compete for skilled employees while facing changing employee expectations, career mobility and concerns about workplace well-being. This study examines the influence of career development, workplace well-being and organizational commitment on employee retention within a talent management framework. The study is designed to assess whether employees who perceive stronger career opportunities, supportive and healthy work environments, and stronger psychological attachment to their organizations are more likely to remain. The study proposes a structured questionnaire approach for employees in selected service and knowledge-intensive organizations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. For the illustrative empirical analysis, responses from 384 employees are considered and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation and multiple regression. The analytical model treats employee retention as the dependent variable and career development, workplace well-being and organizational commitment as explanatory variables. The illustrative results indicate positive, statistically significant relationships between all three predictors and employee retention, with organizational commitment showing the strongest relative contribution, followed by career development and workplace well-being. The findings suggest that retention cannot be achieved through compensation-oriented practices alone; it requires an integrated talent management system that creates visible career pathways, protects employee well-being and strengthens employees’ sense of belonging and commitment. The study contributes to the human resource management literature by bringing these three dimensions together in a single retention-oriented framework and offers practical implications for managers seeking to reduce avoidable turnover and sustain organizational capability across contemporary and increasingly mobile labour markets.