Intrinsic and Extrinsic Job Motivators Predicting Likelihood of Employee Intent to Leave

Abstract

An employee’s intent to leave an organization is the most common predictor of employee turnover. Employee turnover can cost an organization 150% to 250% of a worker’s annual compensation to replace and train an employee. Understanding employee intent to leave is vital for federal agency leaders to help reduce turnover. Grounded in Herzberg’s 2-factor model, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the likelihood of employee perceptions regarding work experience, leadership practices, and supervisor relationships with employees predicting employee intent to leave. Archival data were analyzed for 297 employees who completed the 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis indicated the full model, containing the 3 predictor variables (employee perceptions regarding work experience, leadership practices, and supervisor relationships with employees), was useful in distinguishing between respondents who reported and did not report they intended to take another job outside the federal government within the next year, with X² (3, N = 297) = 111.27 and p < .001. Two of the predictor variables--employee perceptions of work experience and leadership practices--made a statistically significant contribution to the model. Employee perceptions of supervisor relationships with employees were not significant. The implications of this study for positive social change include the opportunity for human resources professionals and organizational leaders to gain an understanding of employee intent to leave, its impact on the workplace, and the potential to contribute to higher employment levels.