Big Five Personality Traits in the Selection of Retention Strategies in the IT-ITES Industry: A Fuzzy MCDM Approach

[Purpose] The potential of any organization to flourish while sustaining competition and delivering excellent service depends upon its human capital. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to retaining employees, as every individual is unique, necessitating the use of multiple strategies. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are employed to rank employee retention techniques based on each personality . This study contributes to Decision Sciences by developing and validating a hybrid Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) framework that systematically links the Big Five Personality traits with specific retention strategies under conditions of uncertainty, thereby providing a quantifiable tool for strategic human resource management. [Design/methodology/approach] Expert opinions have been obtained with the objective of determining the most effective strategy based on each type. Based on the recommendations of experts, Organizational Culture, Inclusion and Belongingness, Employee Engagement, Employee Empowerment, and Employee Well-Being were taken into account as alternatives. The Big 5 traits, Openness to new experiences, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, are used as criterion factors. The criterion weights established using FAHP were ranked using FTOPSIS. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to test the robustness and stability of the proposed method. [Findings] The Consistency Ratio of the fuzzy influence matrix was within the specified value, hence the scores given by the experts were valid and reliable. The study identified that Conscientiousness was the most preferred trait according to HR experts. Based on the criteria, i.e., Big Five personalities, organizational culture is ranked number one among the retention techniques to be employed for retention. Sensitivity analysis was performed and proved the reliability of the data. [Practical implications] Based upon the results of the model, organizations can customize their model with other personality types as criteria and build their own set of alternatives. By experimenting with various MCDM approaches, researchers may widen the scope of their investigation. Different sectors, combinations of factors, and geographical locations can be used for the studies. [Social implications] The study highlights that Fuzzy MCDM techniques can be used to predict retention techniques using personality. The algorithms and variables create a base for further restructuring that could be used irrespective of industry and organization. [Originality/value] The study broadens the scope of the literature by using mathematical models. A decision-making model has been customized for deciding upon employee retention strategies based on employee Personalities that are pertinent to the IT&ITES organizations in India.