When you dig into why software engineers quit, it’s rarely just about money. It’s the slow burn of being unheard, under-challenged, or boxed into roles that don’t evolve—until walking away feels like the only move left.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in [May, 2022] and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THIS ARTICLE:

5 Reasons Why Software Engineers Quit:

– 5 Reasons Why Software Engineers Quit – the main challenges and frustrations that push engineers to look for new opportunities;
– How to Reduce Software Engineer Turnover – practical strategies to keep your team motivated, supported, and engaged;
– Final Thoughts – key takeaways to help you create a healthier, more resilient workplace.

The market has never been as competitive as it is now, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. People discovered how much time they could save without long commutes to work, how productive they could be without all the office background noise, and all the cost savings they could achieve without leaving their house.

Avoiding software engineer turnover is becoming more challenging every day. This is why learning why software engineers quit is so crucial and might help you succeed if you implement the right measures.

Throughout this article, from my point of view as a software engineer, I’ll explore some of the pains that made my peers (and myself) start looking beyond our company’s fence. And sometimes even change jobs.

5 Reasons Why Software Engineers Quit

1. Feeling the Weight of a Hierarchy

Most of the time, the existence of a hierarchy helps you maintain order within a specific environment as it follows nature’s law. It is an organic strategy that every business needs to succeed.

Forcing your employees to accept and agree to every demand without questioning their superiors isn’t organic. A while back, I had an interview where the interviewer was negatively surprised when I told him my frustration about not simply accepting an architect’s decision.

They reasoned that such a decision should be agreed upon and not questioned by those who would be implementing it. Otherwise, I would be disrespecting them. From that point on, I knew I would never be working for that company or suggesting it to any other friend.

Leaders should support, not demand. They should listen and take people’s opinions.

So their employees feel comfortable enough to give suggestions, give their opinion, and discuss ideas without feeling that they are crossing the hierarchy line.

2. Not Feeling Heard

Hearing their employees is always a good quality of any employer. But to prove they were actually listening – and not just nodding while thinking about something else – they must act upon it.

Unfortunately, I get to hear a lot of complaints similar to these ones:

“I’m tired of working with the same 20 old frameworks that no one uses anymore”.

“I feel overwhelmed. We need to distribute the workload in a more efficient way”.

“I don’t feel comfortable with people calling me whenever I am on vacation just because someone needs my help. “

“I have an unbalanced work-life routine. I have two kids to raise.“

Have your employees ever complained about something similar? And have you done anything about it?

Unfortunately, ignoring it only postpones the melting point. As the market gets more competitive, these employers will fall behind in no time. Most people look for people and employers that care about them.

As a software engineer, I look for an employer that looks out for me and understands my needs, financially, professionally, and personally.

3. Not Feeling Recognized and Cared About

There’s nothing better than having someone caring for us, making sure we’re okay, and that we don’t get stuck with any unpleasant thoughts. I mean, that’s what everyone wants, even in their personal life, right?

From mine and my software engineer friends’ experience, I can conclude that many companies tend to forget the importance of showing small acts of kindness and gratitude to their employees.

Last week we had a stressful sprint with a lot of pressure from a client, too many TODOs, and some staff absences. We needed to step up, so we could deliver a beta version of an application on time. It was supposed to be presented in front of at least 40 people. We all kept together, focused, and we managed to deliver everything without making people work overtime. (By the way, it’s also nice to compensate overtime later on).

Initially, the client congratulated us for the great work. It was already nice to have proof of recognition. I was satisfied! A week later, my project manager sent me an email personally thanking me.

I was surprised and emotional as I was not expecting it. This small action was more than enough to help me realize that my company recognizes all the hard work we put into this project. They didn’t need to, but they did it anyway.

I want to feel like that more often. And as you might imagine, so do other employees.

4. Lack of Trust

The Covid-19 pandemic forced us to rearrange our lives, but it also brought us a good thing – remote work finally became an acceptable (sometimes even preferred) practice.

It forced companies to trust their employees and allow them to work from home. Can you make sure your employees are working as much as they would from the office? Where you can actually show up and check their screen whenever you feel like it?

No. And there is always the possibility of having someone claiming that they have spent an entire day working on a task when in reality, they just spent half a day playing video games.

But hey, spoiler alert: time and inflexibility are not equal to efficiency. I only realized how efficient I was at home once everyone had to do so due to the quarantine. After a while, I started working abroad, in France, Italy, Hungary, etc. I still try to go to the office once or twice per week when I’m back in Portugal, but it is mostly about maintaining relationships, not because I’ll work more. Usually, it’s quite the opposite.

If you think this is only my case, you’re greatly mistaken! A new survey study from Bospar showed that remote work is best for a business’s bottom line, with 61% of respondents reporting being more productive when working from home.

What really should matter to you is that your employees complete their work.

The same goes for other types of jobs. What does it matter if the mail carrier watches a YouTube video during their working hours? Nothing, as long as he delivers everything by the end of the day.

I’ve never felt this happy as I do while working from my comfortable home. And considering that happiness is correlated to efficiency, making sure your employees feel good while doing their work is something you should desire too!

5. Lack of Interesting Projects

I would argue that this topic is a game-changer in making someone’s mind about changing jobs. A large amount of software engineer turnover occurs due to one (or more) of the following reasons:

• Deprecated technologies;
• Lack of impact on society;
• Simple business complexity;
• Lack of architecture and technology innovation;
• Switching philosophies (when the current one works just fine).

Once I start feeling stagnant, the next step is realizing that something needs to change. That happened to me on my last project. I needed to raise the flag so I could switch, as I was getting sad, unproductive, and unmotivated. Leaving the company would be my next step in case this persisted, so I was glad we could avoid it in time. But unfortunately, most of my colleagues don’t have that opportunity, which is, as you might predict, why software engineers quit.

Feeling stagnant is usually the first sign that an employee is on the wrong career path. That’s why companies should not only avoid only looking into the project’s profitability, but also understand how the project will influence and impact their employees.

Acknowledging the high costs of hiring, onboarding, and training might make you consider implementing retention strategies. Your profit will quickly decrease if you don’t fix your software engineer turnover issues and simply start recruiting again.

How to Reduce Software Engineer Turnover

Keeping top engineering talent isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about building a workplace where people feel motivated, supported, and heard. Here are five proven ways to reduce software engineer turnover and boost long-term retention:

• Offer the benefits engineers truly care about, such as remote work flexibility, career growth opportunities, and mental health support—the exact benefits IT professionals rank as most important.
• Encourage strong team cohesion by integrating purposeful social and collaborative experiences into your culture. Even simple, consistent efforts like well-designed team-building activities can have a direct impact on morale and retention.
• Make employee feedback a two-way street. Engineers are more likely to stay when their ideas lead to action and they feel heard by leadership.
• Explore modern and creative perks—like four-day workweeks, wellness stipends, or paid learning time—that align with your company’s identity. Many innovative benefits being adopted today are low-cost but high-impact.
• Provide visible paths for advancement, not just tasks to complete. Engineers want to grow in their roles, not out of them.

Why Do Software Engineers Quit? Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, we all want to feel accomplished, both personally and professionally. To make sure your employees feel like that – and are not secretly attending job interviews – make sure that you:

• make them feel comfortable with the company’s hierarchy;
• listen to them and act according to the information you receive;
• recognize their efforts and congratulate them on their achievements;
• make them feel trusted;
• motivate them towards their project completion.

The industry is growing every day that goes by. Software engineers receive enormous amounts of offers every day. If they don’t feel happy, it is a matter of time until one of them catches their attention.

If you’re happy with the work of your tech team but you’re worried about all the flashy opportunities popping up on their LinkedIn chats – working with KWAN could be a good solution for you.

With a team of dedicated coaches – called People Experience Partners – taking care of your team and making sure they are happy and fulfilled will help prevent unexpected leaves and all the time wasted on researching, screening, and recruiting new professionals. Get in touch!