A STAFF RETENTION STRATEGY FOR DELSI MONTESSORI SCHOOL.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Delsi Montessori School is a private elementary educational institution located at New Achimota-Accra, Ghana. The school provides unique educational services for children from the ages of three months to fourteen years, i.e., creche, nursery, kindergarten, primary and JHS. Presently, it has twenty classes that cater to a pupil and staff population of 250 and 45 respectively. Meanwhile, the school has had a longstanding problem with staff turnover. A needs assessment guided by Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene factor theory showed that motivation factors in DMS were high whilst hygiene factors such as salary were poor. This combination results in DMS staff being motivated but dissatisfied; especially with compensation. Additionally, the DMS work culture and standards are relatively high and unique. Thus, new hires have a difficult time at the beginning adjusting and some leave. Literature suggests that well-executed orientations or induction programs are good ways to improve retention (Marchington, Wilkinson, and Sargeant, 2000). Research in the areas of high employee commitment and performance also positively relate salaries to employee behaviours and attitudes (Storey, 2001). In conclusion, retention strategies for schools can be tackled by strategically paying attention to areas such as recruitment, training, performance management and compensation. Failure to mitigate turnover in schools can affect student achievement, staff cohesion and the financial resource of schools.