Retaining the Skilled Human Capital of Ae Sports

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the cut-throat gaming industry for skilled and creative talent, senior managers, along with HR professionals realize the importance of incorporating HR strategies to retain their valuable human capital. The purposes of this report are (1) to analyze the human resource strategies adopted by other small companies located in North America with discussion on the research findings in support of its impacts on employee retention, (2) to evaluate the benefits and costs of these tactics used by other companies, and (3) to provide feasible recommendations to help the HR manager of AE Sports, Tatyana Romanov, make proactive decisions regarding effective approaches to retaining key employees.

HR Initiatives that prove to be effective in North American companies include encompassing a culture that supports an engaging workplace and acknowledging the personal and work responsibilities of employees, adopting a decentralized organizational structure, and offering programs for leadership development and coaching as well as conducting performance appraisals.

Within the analyses, the report interprets research findings solely from secondary sources and examines how increases in motivation level, satisfaction, and morale of employees indirectly influences their commitment to the organization through HR initiatives.

Finally, benefits, costs, and feasibility are assessed, and recommendations are drawn. Benefits and costs of the HR initiatives are discussed quantitatively and qualitatively, while feasibility is assessed based on the nature of AE Sports' business. Recommendations are all non-financial in nature, and hence, they are cost-effective approaches to retaining employees in the workplace.

There are four feasible recommendations made in this report. They are:

* Appeal to employees' personal ambitions and values through a corporate culture that is engaging, acknowledging, and flexible.

* Empower employees by trusting them to make their own decisions regarding the firm's operational problems.

* Evaluate employee satisfaction through regular performance appraisals to assess whether or not the firm is creating a desirable work environment for their employees to grow personally and professionally.

* Enrich the employees' experiences in the workplace with opportunities to learn, develop, and train.