The factors influencing high staff turnover amongst software engineers

Ndabathethwa Klaas  William

The contemporary corporate environment places intense demands on South African organisations, and so leaders must accelerate digital execution and innovation while sustaining productivity and efficiency. Software engineers are central to these ambitions, yet companies face persistent difficulty retaining this scarce talent. Guided by established theories of motivation and turnover, the research examines how intrinsic motivators (career advancement, recognition, learning opportunities) and extrinsic hygiene factors (financial rewards, leadership style, work-life balance) affect job satisfaction, and how job satisfaction, in turn, influences turnover intention among software engineers. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using a selfadministered, web-based questionnaire adapted from validated instruments. A stratified sampling approach across finance, telecommunications, retail, and other industries yielded 200 valid responses from practising software engineers. Data were analysed in IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 30) using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis to confirm construct validity, reliability testing (Cronbach’s alpha), Spearman’s rho correlations, and regression models used to test hypotheses. The findings show a clear pattern: higher job satisfaction is associated with a lower intention to leave, accounting for a meaningful share of variance in turnover intention. Among the antecedents of job satisfaction, leadership style and work-life balance emerge as the strongest levers. Career advancement and financial rewards also contribute, while recognition and learning opportunities show positive effects, but are less influential when all factors are considered together. Overall, the results support the view that addressing basic conditions such as pay alone is not sufficient. Sustained retention depends on combining sound hygiene practices, such as supportive leadership and healthy work-life balance, with compelling motivators, such as career advancement opportunities. The study offers practical guidance for companies. It strengthens frontline leadership capability, embeds sustainable work-life balance, makes career pathways and learning opportunities visible, and maintains fair, competitive pay as part of a broader retention package. Therefore, organisations should adopt an integrated retention framework that combines competitive compensation with purposeful leadership, flexible work arrangements, and structured...

The factors influencing high staff turnover amongst software engineers

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