A quantitative survey was conducted among software developers in the Durban area to evaluate the effectiveness of their own companies' retention policies and compare these to the company under study. These were aligned with the company's corporate vision and goals to demonstrate the value that can be gained by adjusting its current practices to improve.
Motivation for this Study
Problem Statement
Given the relative small size of the company under study, it is not possible to enter into talent wars with rivals based on remuneration alone; it is neither sustainable nor effective in increasing loyalty to the organization - a cornerstone of successful retention strategies. The research question this study sought to answer was 'Can non-remunerative talent management strategies succeed in retaining high performing software developers in Durban?'.
Aims and Objectives
There is considerable literature on strategies attempted globally in similar software development organizations, but a gap existed in the literature available in this sector, specifically in the newly emerging 'Silicon Valley' of Durban. The study seeks to identify non-remunerative practices that influence the IT worker's decision to join, stay with or leave a company with the intention of using proven successful models to attract and retain innovative software developers and establish a talent-rich competitive advantage in the local industry.
Population and Sample
Structure an enhanced talent strategy to attract and retain top-caliber employees in a market poised for rapid expansion. Align the Talent strategy with the company's vision and growth, and develop as a core competitive advantage in an accelerating competitive market.
Sampling and Data Collection
Data Collection Methods and Treatment of Data
Limitations of the Study
Outline of the Study
It states the aims, objectives, participants and location of the study, provides details of the data collection strategy, study design and methodology employed, and provides details of how data was analyzed. The limitations of the study are summarized and recommendations for future research in this area are made.
Conclusions
The chapter that follows provides a focused outline of the current literature on employee motivation, talent retention strategies that are being used successfully by leading IT and software development companies, and how they can be used to drive growth and competitive advantage in the Area Durban. The following chapter presents a review of past research and the dominant literature on the factors that influence employee turnover in the workplace, particularly those that attract and increase employee retention in corporate technology environments.
Introduction
Factors that Drive Movement of Employees to and Within Markets
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Herzberg’s Two-factor Motivation/Hygiene Theory
- Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy
- The Employee Value Proposition Model
Herzberg proposed that two areas of the employee experience speak separately to their satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the workplace: Motivation (which speaks to intrinsic job-related characteristics such as challenging work, performance, recognition and personal growth) and Hygiene or Maintenance (which includes factors external to the work itself, such as working conditions, company policies, remuneration, job security and status). 14 organizations practicing this improved the reputation of the industry – which in the long term translates into continued sustainability in the business sector (Haanaes et al. 2011).
Global Talent Acquisition, Development and Retention Models
- Purple Squirrel Head-hunting
- Building a Talent Leadership Pipeline
- Advantages of a Talent Leadership Pipeline
- Massmart Talent Retention Case Study
- Sasol Talent Development Case Study
Employee readiness to move to the next level of management can be measured objectively, rather than based on past performance. Ensuring that talent passes through the defined pipeline ensures that succession develops at the right rate, with the pipeline identifying when someone is ready to move to the next level of management.
Talent Strategies in Competitive Software Markets: Innovators in Talent
- The Software Development Talent Market
- The Silicon Valley Anti-trust Scandal
- Software Talent Management: Global Best Practice
- Talent Strategies that Attract and Retain High Performers
- Novel Recruitment Approaches
- Software Developer Mobility
Recognizing that the flow of sought-after skills in and out of their doors is inevitable, these corporations are investing heavily in HR talent acquisition and retention strategies, to ensure competitive advantage in the constant scramble for the best of the best. Emerging demand for IT skills in every industry of the economy has created a unique talent siphon in the labor market where sought-after high performers move significantly. Studies of the market for niche software development show that non-compensatory incentives are key to attracting and retaining high-performing talent (Sullivan 2013a).
Talent Innovation as a Competitive Advantage in High-Demand markets 35
Development and Training
Recent surveys have shown that internal mentoring is one of the most valued and preferred development channels of I.T.
Enabling Employee Engagement
MacLeod suggests that clearly articulating this narrative allows employees to see how their own work fits into the company's continued success story, and it should be constantly reiterated to everyone in order to instill a sense of ownership among staff. In their research paper, MacLeod and Clarke cite the example of a company that asked employees to post on the wall diagrams of innovative solutions to achieve company goals, which encouraged personal initiative, information sharing within the company, and social camaraderie as staff came together to looked at what others were doing. Researchers argue that when leaders build improved relationships with group members as individuals, those employees contribute more to the company's goals and growth.
Retaining Talent
If their personal pay is threatened, successful workers are likely to shift to companies that can reward them in line with their expectations. The message to management is that if all employees are treated equally, not enough is being done to reward and retain high performers. Inability to align high achievers with corporate strategy – High achievers are often very aware of the financial and growth potential of their organizations, with their level of engagement closely related to confidence in management strategies.
Conclusion
To expect high performers to accept less in times of constraint – while great leaders may share tough times for the sake of the company, high performers are a different category of employee; they expect higher compensation, reward and bonuses linked to performance regardless. 45 addressed in a way that encourages growth, not restriction, the loss of high performers and time investment by management can be combated. The next chapter looks at the empirical study undertaken to provide such research data for the Durban software development talent market.
Introduction
Aims and Objectives of the Study
Aim of the Study
Objectives
Participants and Location of the Study
Data Collection Strategies
Sampling
Sampling Methods
Sample Size
Research Design and Methods
Description and Purpose
Literature reviews and secondary data analyzes were conducted to determine the suitability of the chosen instrument for data collection used in this research – namely the online web survey. The study was constructed to address specific areas of the research objectives and was based on key theories of employee attraction, attrition and engagement established by contemporary academic literature on the subject. The targeted population sample was then individually invited to participate by providing a URL link to the online survey via a personal email explaining the purpose and perceived benefits of the research effort.
Pretesting and Validation
All pre-testers reported that they had successfully completed the survey questions and had clearly understood the survey questions, so the survey was extended to the receiving audience. External validity (determining the extent to which results can be generalized to the target population represented by the sample, i.e. the representativeness of the sample); Face validity (the extent to which respondents viewed the survey as measuring what it claimed to measure, that is, the perceived transparency of the research purpose);
Administration of the Questionnaire
53 These constructs were used to determine the validity of the questionnaire used in this research - it was proven that the questionnaire measured what it intended, was representative and appropriate for the sample/population under study, and adequately covered each area of interest. to the researcher. All survey responses were exported to a spreadsheet and analyzed as a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) database, based on predetermined scores assigned to each possible response by the researcher.
Analysis of the Data
Likert Scale Considerations
Below, a distinction is made between Likert-scale and Likert-type questions (if the latter form has been used in this study). Questions presented and analyzed as Likert-type items, on the other hand, include self-contained questions that are not analyzed as a group, but individually, using mode, median, and frequency statistical tools (Boone & Boone 2012). 55 For these reasons, Likert-type questions were used in this research as the most appropriate means of identifying patterns in attitudinal characteristics of the software development resources studied.
Conclusion
Introduction
Respondent Demographics
A third (33%) of respondents indicated that they were in their current company for 1 to 3 years, and only 5% worked in their company for more than 10 years (Figure 4.5), indicating a significant problem of retention. This implies that over 57% have left the company in the last 3 years, consistent with JCSE's finding that Gauteng draws a large proportion of the ICT scarce skills talent in SA (Schofield 2013). Of the software development resources surveyed, less than 4% reported having any final decision-making authority over their work output (Figure 4.7).
Drivers of I.T. Sector Employee Mobility to and Within markets
Factors Influencing Talent Attraction
Factors Influencing Talent Attrition
Proposed Actions for Improving Efficiency
Perceived Retention Practices at the Organisation
- Perception of Organisations’ Measures of Performance
- Factors Influencing Talent Retention
- Efficiency-draining Processes in Organisation
- Employee Satisfaction with Organisations
Respondents expressed general agreement that creativity is valued by the organization (53%), but showed sharp contrast in rating its performance measures by company, with only 13% of Company A Dbn indicating that they felt creativity was highly valued . Fifty percent of respondents at Company A Dbn felt that employees were rewarded for performing above KPI target. With the exception of Companies Drv, Pvt and Company A Dbn's third-party software resources, all other survey participants expressed disagreement with the standardization and delivery of company-wide job performance measures.
Talent Strategies that Attract and Retain High-Demand Employees
- Talent Procurement Channels
- Perception of Training and Resourcing
- Engagement and Excitement of Role in Organisation
- Frustrations Experienced in Current Role
- Suggested Changes in Organisation to Enable Better Performance . 81
- Perception of Company Adherence to Espoused Values
- Preferred Means of Networking
- Perceived Quality of Work Experience
The most frequently mentioned terms expressed by the participants in this regard are presented in Figure 4.27 below. Participants mentioned being frustrated with their current role due to limitations such as slow decision-making progress, poor quality, time recording, repetitive processes and slow internet (Figure 4.28). The results showed that more than a quarter (27%) of the participants indicated that conferences/seminars were most effective, followed by discussion forums (25%), for networking (Figure 4.31).
Conclusion
Introduction
Key Findings
- Determination of What Drives High-performing Software Developers to
- Evaluation of Recruitment and Retention Practices at Dbn Software
- Talent Strategy for Attracting and Retaining Top-calibre Employees in
- Aligning Talent Strategy to Corporate Vision and Growth, as
Playing with the unique attractions of the seaside town is key in balancing the money lure of the big city; Durban has a sparkling ocean, sunny days and laid-back culture in social circles – the discrepancy at A Dbn Company is that the culture practiced within its walls is quite different. This indication that the organization's retention and mentoring/development practices are lacking is proven by the constant movement of employees out of the business. The third strategic goal is for the organization to 'share skills and experience across the company'.
Recommendations on Findings
- Attracting the Right People at the Right time
- Creating an Innovative Office Culture
- Encouraging Teamwork and Collaboration
- Delivering 360-degree Performance Management Solutions
- Living Organisation Values in Practice
- Developing a Leadership Pipeline
- Competitive Recruitment Strategies
Less than 10% of the employees surveyed were female software developers, indicating a potential gap in the market that Company A should pursue as a competitive talent strategy. It has proven successful in rival companies in the Durban area, such as Company Drv, whose employee ratings have been consistently high throughout the study. To fail to take this approach, given the number of private schools in the area, is almost to let potential sales and resources slip through Company A's hands.
Limitations of this Study
University graduates are broadly gender equal, so encouraging promising female students to follow a software development path within Company A's graduate recruitment program will differentiate the organization in the local market; Targeted marketing and branding support of gender equality in the software development field will help improve employment equity statistics and bring a new target market into the currently limited software development arena. Given the heavy reliance on Oracle technology within Company A Dbn, a concerted partnership exercise with the Oracle software house to host conferences and youth apprentice workshops with the aim of encouraging internships in the field once the high performing apprentice has completed tertiary studies, recommended. Moving into the private schools arena by offering bursaries, summer schools or internships would also bring the brand to parents and guardians of these students, many of whom are key decision makers in the Durban and KwaZulu-Natal business sector. .
Recommendations for Future Research
101 of the respondents, when they answered, many nevertheless chose not to complete the survey or to leave certain areas unanswered, reducing the sample size to 60. A significant proportion of the respondents were new to the companies surveyed and therefore may provide not a true representation of what Long-term employees feel However, given the moving target of employee contingent in this ICT sector, the sample was deemed statistically appropriate for the requirements of this study.
Conclusion
Discovering 21st century talent: Why potential now trumps brains, experience and 'competence'. Harvard Business Review, (June), pp.46–56. Aligning Talent for Global Advantage: How Top Companies Develop the Right Talent in the Right Places, Los Angeles. Available at: http://hbr.org/2014/10/the-rise-and-probable-fall-of-the-talent-economy/ar/pr.
