An Actionable Framework for Understanding and Improving Talent Retention as a Competitive Advantage in IT Organizations

In the rapidly evolving global business landscape, the demand for software has intensified competition among organizations, leading to challenges in retaining highly qualified professionals in IT organizations. One of the problems faced by IT organizations is the retention of these strategic professionals, also known as talent. This work presents an actionable framework for talent retention in IT organizations called TR Framework. It is based on our findings from interviews conducted with 21 IT managers. The TR Framework aims to guide IT managers in improving talent management processes by addressing specific challenges, identifying important factors, and exploring strategies at the individual, team, and organizational levels. The research findings shed light on the barriers faced by IT managers and the coping mechanisms employed when general improvement strategies prove ineffective. By fostering cohesive teams, promoting innovation, and ensuring knowledge continuity, talent retention becomes a significant competitive advantage for IT organizations. The TR Framework provides valuable insights and practical recommendations for enhancing talent retention and management practices to build successful software development teams.