Extrapolating Retention Intricacies of Software Professionals in Ugandan Companies

Abstract

This paper is part of the larger research that investigated the complexity of hiring and retaining Software professionals. This was because software professionals were found to habitually jump into and out of their jobs, which had become an industry-wide concern that caused instability and discontinuity. The Dual Factor of  Motivation by Herzberg, 1954, was adopted to explain this challenge. A qualitative investigation augmented with the integrative synthesis was adopted. Subjects were selected purposively from selected companies such as banks and specifically Makerere University – being the dominant producer of software professionals in Uganda. Three questions were advanced to answer retention challenges; (1) What are the reasons software professionals do not keep their jobs for long? (2) What are the implications related to retention challenges in companies today? (3) What can companies do to retain such professionals? A combination of scarcity, particularity and peculiarity of these professionals made them arrogant and a desire to be freelancers, independent and “on call”. Yet, most companies are not comfortable with this kind of arrangement, since it affects continuity, sustainability and teamwork. The author concludes that no matter the motivational strategies put in place, these professionals are hard to keep, yet, when they quit - they go with intangible knowledge, especially since they possess undocumented knowledge about the product, the domain, and the designs, essential to the company’s competitive advantage. The paper therefore recommends that employers need to engage in honest negotiations and allow software professionals participate satisfactorily, as well as avoiding pigeonhole type of management.