In an era of employee shortages and increased service delivery demands, it is important to explore factors which contribute to the retention of employees who contribute a wealth of knowledge and experience to their organisations. Schuler and Jackson (2006: 216) define retention as everything an employer does to encourage qualified and productive employees to continue working for the organisation. The main objective of retention is to reduce unwanted voluntary turnover by valuable people in the organisation. Together, effective recruitment and retention efforts attract individuals to the organisation and also increase the chance of retaining the individuals once they are hired. Different generations are currently in the workplace with their differences magnified as a result of the current fragmented, global, and highly technological world. The changes in the workplace, in society, and in organisations over the years have been massive. These changes, according to Fields (2001:19) have, to a great extent, caused the rules of the workplace to change.