An employee may join a company because of an attractive salary, a suitable position, or a new career opportunity. But what makes them decide to stay for many years?

This is not an easy question to answer.

Employee retention is not determined by income alone. Throughout their time at work, employees experience many other factors: how they are treated, their relationship with managers, opportunities for development, the level of support they receive, and whether they feel that their work has meaning.

Many studies in human resource management and organizational behavior have also shown that job satisfaction, organizational support, fairness, development opportunities, and person–organization fit are associated with employee commitment and turnover intention.

So, what can a company do to make employees not only want to join, but also want to continue working with the organization?

Let’s explore these factors and take a closer look at VAON Vietnam.

Table of Contents

1. Job Satisfaction: Do I Feel That This Job Is Right for Me?
2. Organizational Support: Do I Feel Heard and Supported?
3. Respect and Fairness: Am I Treated According to My Value?
4. Growth Opportunities: Can I Become a Better Version of Myself Here?
5. VAON: Building a Workplace Where Employees Want to Stay

1. Job Satisfaction: Do I Feel That This Job Is Right for Me?

When talking about employee retention, many companies often start with the question:

“How much more should we pay to make employees stay?”

But another question is just as important:

“Are employees satisfied with their jobs?”

Job satisfaction does not mean that employees are always happy or that their work is free from pressure.

It is about how a person evaluates their overall work experience: whether the job meets their expectations, what the working environment is like, how their relationships with colleagues and managers are, and whether they have opportunities to grow.

What does the research say?

In “A Meta-Analysis of the Variables Related to Turnover Intention among IT Personnel,” Ahmet Hakan Özkan (2021) synthesized data from 3,844 studies published between 1998 and 2019, involving thousands of participants.

The results showed that both job satisfaction and organizational commitment had significant relationships with turnover intention among IT personnel. In this study, the correlation between job satisfaction and turnover intention was r = −0.50, while the correlation between organizational commitment and turnover intention was r = −0.51.

In simple terms, employees who are more satisfied with their jobs and feel more connected to their organization tend to have lower intentions to leave.

This suggests that employee retention does not begin with salary policies alone.

Companies also need to consider a more fundamental question:

“Are employees satisfied with their everyday work experience?”

A job may offer good pay, but if employees frequently feel unsupported, unheard, or unable to see the value of their work, their sense of commitment may still be affected.

2. Organizational Support: Do I Feel Heard and Supported?

Try putting yourself in an employee’s position.

When you face difficulties at work, do you know who you can turn to?

When there is an issue you need to discuss, do you feel safe speaking up?

When a change in your personal life affects your work, is the company willing to listen and find ways to support you?

These questions are related to the concept of Perceived Organizational Support (POS) — the extent to which employees feel that the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being.

What does the research say?

According to “A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support and Job Outcomes: 20 Years of Research,” by Robert J. Riggle, Diane R. Edmondson, and John D. Hansen (2009), the study synthesized 20 years of research on perceived organizational support.

The findings showed that perceived organizational support has a strong positive relationship with job satisfaction and organizational commitment, while having a strong negative relationship with turnover intention.

This means that “support” is not simply an emotional or subjective concept.

It can be demonstrated through very concrete actions:

• Managers are willing to listen when employees face difficulties.
• Employees have channels for feedback and discussion.
• The company provides support when employees face special circumstances.
• Employees’ contributions are recognized.
• Employees receive the support they need to complete their work.
• The company pays attention to work–life balance.

In particular, listening does not mean that the company has to fulfill every employee request.

Listening is the first step toward understanding the actual problem before finding an appropriate solution.

And sometimes, simply knowing that:

“I can talk about my problem, and someone will listen.”

is already an important part of the employee experience.

3. Respect and Fairness: Am I Treated According to My Value?

A workplace may offer many benefits, but that does not necessarily mean employees will want to stay if they feel that they are not respected.

Respect at work is not only reflected in the way people communicate with one another.

It is also reflected in:

• How the company receives employees’ opinions.
• How managers provide feedback.
• Transparency in evaluations.
• How work and opportunities are allocated.
• How employees’ contributions are recognized.
• How mistakes are handled.
• How employees’ time and personal lives are respected.

What does the research say?

In “Structural Determinants of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Turnover Models,” Stefan Gaertner (1999) analyzed the relationship between organizational factors and job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

The findings showed that distributive fairness, promotion opportunities, and supervisor support were directly related to employees’ organizational commitment, in addition to their effects through job satisfaction.

This suggests that employees are not only asking:

“What do I receive?”

They are also asking:

“How am I treated?”

Two employees may receive the same salary, but if one feels that their opinions are heard, their contributions are recognized, and they are treated fairly, their overall work experience may be very different.

Respect, therefore, is not a separate activity.

It is reflected in the way a company treats its employees every day.

4. Growth Opportunities: Can I Become a Better Version of Myself Here?

After working for some time, an employee may ask:

“If I continue working here for another 2–3 years, how will I grow?”

Not everyone aims to become a manager.

But most people want to become better than they were yesterday.

This could mean:

• Gaining more knowledge.
• Developing new skills.
• Taking on new responsibilities.
• Being trusted with greater responsibility.
• Having a clearer career path.
• Receiving feedback to understand what they need to improve.
• Having opportunities to learn from experienced people.

The study by Stefan Gaertner (1999) also found that promotion opportunities are among the factors directly associated with organizational commitment.

In addition, “A Meta-Analysis of Relations Between Person–Organization Fit and Work Attitudes,” by Michelle L. Verquer, Terry A. Beehr, and Stephen H. Wagner (2003), synthesized 21 studies examining the relationship between person–organization fit and job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention.

The results showed that person–organization fit was associated with all three factors.

This suggests that development is not simply about job titles.

Employees need to see that they are moving forward, even if that progress can take many different forms.

It could mean learning a new skill, being assigned to a new project, gaining more autonomy, or simply developing a clearer understanding of their career path.

A workplace where employees feel that they are learning and progressing gives them a very practical reason to continue:

“There are still many things I can learn and many things I can achieve here.”

5. VAON: Building a Workplace Where Employees Want to Stay

The research above shows that employee retention does not come from a single factor.

We understand that salary and compensation are important. Benefits are important. Opportunities for development are also extremely important.

But there is another factor that is difficult to measure with numbers:

The feeling of being valued by the company.

This is also something VAON aims to focus on as we build our working environment.

Alongside compensation, benefits, and development opportunities, VAON continuously strives to create a better workplace for its employees.

Always listening to employees

VAON wants HR to be more than a department that simply communicates company policies. We want HR to serve as a bridge between employees and the company.

Employee feedback, suggestions, and difficulties are important information that helps the company better understand employees’ actual experiences at work.

Not every suggestion can be implemented immediately.

However, listening seriously and responding thoughtfully is something VAON wants to maintain.

Because a good workplace is not a place without problems. It is a place where people can talk about problems and work together to find solutions.

Creating conditions for employees to do their best work

A good policy should not exist only on paper.

It needs to address the real challenges employees face during their work.

Therefore, VAON aims to build a working environment and policies that enable employees to perform their work effectively, collaborate efficiently with colleagues, and achieve a better balance between work and life.

Respecting employees

Every employee has different capabilities, circumstances, and career goals.

VAON aims to create an environment where employees are respected in communication, in their work, and for their contributions.

Respect is also reflected in transparent policies, clear communication, and listening to different perspectives.

Continuously improving employee benefits

Benefits should not simply be a list of entitlements written in a document.

VAON’s goal is to build policies that provide real, practical value to employees, from work support and time off to employee well-being, development, and engagement activities.

The needs of a company and its employees can change as the organization grows and as different generations of employees join the workforce.

Therefore, HR policies also need to be continuously reviewed, evaluated, and improved based on employee feedback.

Conclusion

Ultimately, perhaps companies should not only ask:

“How can we prevent employees from leaving?”

Instead, they can ask:

“What can we do to make employees want to continue working with us?”

The two questions may sound similar, but the approach behind them is very different.

One focuses on retaining people.

The other focuses on building an environment where people want to stay.

For VAON, this journey is built on things that may seem simple:

Listening to employees.

Respecting employees.

Supporting employees in both work and life.

Creating opportunities for employees to grow.

And continuously improving policies that provide real value.

Because employees who stay for the long term do not stay only because of what the company gives them.

They also stay when they feel:

“My contributions are recognized, my needs are heard, and I can continue to grow here.”

References

1. Riggle, R. J., Edmondson, D. R., & Hansen, J. D. (2009). A meta-analysis of the relationship between perceived organizational support and job outcomes: 20 years of research. Journal of Business Research, 62(10), 1027–1030.
2. Özkan, A. H. (2021). A meta-analysis of the variables related to turnover intention among IT personnel. Kybernetes, 51(4), 1584–1600.
3. Gaertner, S. (1999). Structural Determinants of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Turnover Models. Human Resource Management Review, 9(4), 479–493.
4. Verquer, M. L., Beehr, T. A., & Wagner, S. H. (2003). A meta-analysis of relations between person–organization fit and work attitudes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(3), 473–489.