What do you do if your top app developers are considering leaving your company?

If the top app developers were thinking about leaving, the first thing I’d do is have an honest conversation with them to understand why. If it’s something the company can fix like work-life balance, salary, or a lack of growth opportunities; I’d do my best to address those issues. I believe it’s important to show them that they’re valued, and I’d be open to making changes that help them feel more supported and motivated to stay.

I have always avoided managing people's careers and opportunities. Let skilled developers pick and choose projects and they will be happier. They would not consider leaving what they do if they have chosen it, If you don't have the flexibility to do that, let them go and also you go yourself to a company that should give you such flexibility. Don't hope to keep all good staff only by paying them better.

First of all, I will do some silent investigation to understand the concerns of the developers in the following aspects. 1) Are my developers are enjoying the work ? 2) Are my developers are appreciated frequently for meeting the expectations and sometimes rewarded for good/outstanding work done ? 3) Are they well paid based on their skills, experiences and job role performed ? 4) Are my developers stressed out at most times ? Based on the outcomes from above points, I will initiate necessary steps from management and HR side to minimize the impact.

As leaders, we should ask: What drives our top app developers toward the exit? Losing key talent can signal deeper issues. It's time to assess team morale and workplace culture. Open dialogue is crucial. Here's my approach: 1 Conduct Stay Interviews: Engage with your team. Understand their motivations and concerns. 2 Offer Growth Opportunities: Ensure there's a clear path for professional development. 3 Recognize Achievements: Everyone wants to feel valued. Show genuine appreciation. 4 Foster Inclusivity: Cultivate an environment where every voice is heard. Let’s prioritize our people, not just our projects/products.

Top app developers eyeing the exit and It's always incentives or compensation at all the time! Here's my quick guide to retaining your tech stars: 1 Competitive Pay: Regularly review and adjust salaries. 2 Bonus Schemes: Reward exceptional performance and project successes. 3 Equity Options: Offer a stake in the company's future growth. 4 Work-Life Balance: Flexible hours and remote work options can be game-changers. 5 Continuous Learning: Invest in their skills with courses and conferences. Let's turn the tide and keep our talent thriving in-house!

See above, Assess morale. The top incentive is to give people with high potential the opportunity to pick projects or choose team members. 'Professional Development Opportunities' shouldn't be just another list of 'canned' job descriptions. Stop this nonsense and let people write their own job description.

Readiness to deal with sudden departures is essential as a routine activity; not just an emergency act. Documentation is not enough, if at all possible.. Knowledge sharing must be meaningful to both giver and receiver. Select people who are predatory; ready to step into the opportunity to take over whenever somebody leaves. Practice that periodically, just to be ready when you have an actual departure; e.g. death.

Our top app developers do move due to a team structure or demotivated by promoting underserving candidates, its high time to reassess our team structure at this point of time. Key steps to retain our tech wizards: 1 Flatten Hierarchies: Empower devs with decision-making autonomy. 2 Agile Teams: Small, cross-functional teams can boost collaboration and innovation. 3 Clear Roles: Define responsibilities to avoid overlaps and burnout. 4 Mentorship Programs: Pair experienced devs with newcomers to foster growth. By reshaping our teams, we can create an environment where talent thrives

Good teams organise themselves, around a leader who might change their mind. If there are no growth opportunities, don't 'rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic'. Sacrifice some people to maintain viability and let those kept re-size the tasks initially assigned. Get rid of line management, to start with. that will help viability.

Cultural fit is difficult to plan but easy to maintain if the teams are 'self-organising'. There are hidden barriers in some cultures; e.g. class or cast considerations. Tolerance can be policed but real integration across such barriers is much harder. Formal recruitment with elaborate filters is a waste of time and resources. Encourage your people to poach from good sources. They might like 'working with friends'. However, beware of collusion.