Seeking Advice on PhD Topics in HR: How to Choose Between Motivation, Training, and Engagement?

I am a recent Master's graduate with an MSc in Human Resource Management and Development from Liverpool Hope University in the UK, with two years of experience in the HR department. I am planning to enroll in a Ph.D. program and would appreciate some guidance on suitable topics. My postgraduate research focused on Training and Employee Engagement, and I would like to continue in a similar vein.

Areas of Interest

My areas of interest include Employee Motivation, Training and Development, and Engagement. Please advise on an appropriate area as I am uncertain about what would be most suitable.

Thank you.

Regards,
David-Terence

My perspective would be to take up the field of Talent Engagement and Retention. Reasons for the same:

HR has evolved over decades with phrases being added, dropped, and people coming and going. Over the years, if there is one thing that has provided a distinction between companies, it is the employees. The product, service, regulations, and processes are all dependent on people. No matter how mechanized a process is, if the right people are not there at the right time, it can't function on computers alone. Over the years, thinking has evolved from "cheap labor" to "skilled labor" to "driven labor" to "labor management" and so on. That was when companies dominated the market.

But today, when good people get to dominate the market and when they look at themselves, they evaluate their lives not by the money they make, but by their quality of life. Since a person spends an average of 50% of their time at work or thinking about work, it becomes important to not just reimburse them but also reward and recognize this dedication.

Over the next few decades, we see a trend already emerging for talent retention and engagement. Companies no longer consider policy as a 'be all,' but they frame policies based on people's requirements. No longer is talent money-oriented but life-oriented. For such creative, dedicated, willing talent, one has to constantly innovate to keep them engaged. Hence, I feel this would be a very relevant topic over the next few years, and by virtue of forward thinking, this topic dominates my mind.

Best of luck with the Ph.D. and wishing you success.

Regards,
Deena Jagasia