Reward System: A Tool for Employee Retention as Observed from the Banking Sector in Port Harcourt

Workers are considered as strategic assets in any organization because the accomplishment of an organization’s objectives largely depends on the employees, so employers always strive to ensure that they retain their best employees. However, such employees can only become strategic assets if they are motivated to deliver on their tasks and specific assignments. Therefore, it is important to identify factors which motivate employees for the achievement of set organisational goals. The objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which organisational reward systems impact on employee retention in the banking industry in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. To achieve this objective, this study has examined the relationship between remuneration, promotion and recognition as the dimensions of reward systems and employee retention. In terms of methodology, the survey research design was utilized, with the structured questionnaire used as the primary data collection method. The generated data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as the spearman’s test statistics. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between remuneration, promotion, and recognition as dimensions of reward systems and employee retention. The conclusion reached is that for banks in Port Harcourt to retain their best employees, they would need to improve their reward systems, specifically the remuneration, promotion and recognition that they offer their employees. It is recommended that there should be further empirical research to test the applicability of the findings of this study in other sectors of the Nigerian economy as well as the relationship between other dimensions of reward systems and employee retention.