Retention in Tech Hiring

Retention in Tech Hiring

Introduction
The tech industry is driven by innovation—but also plagued by churn. Engineers, infrastructure specialists and product teams are frequently on the move, with average tenures for developers now hovering below two years. While agility and mobility may benefit candidates, for employers building permanent teams, this trend creates serious challenges in continuity, knowledge retention and team culture.

At Jobpeals, we work with organisations that are focused on sustainability, not just speed. As the UK’s leading agency for permanent tech jobs, we help clients move beyond short-term hiring and toward long-term workforce design—bringing in talent that sticks, scales and stays.

Understanding the Cost of Churn
High turnover is expensive. The direct cost of replacing a single developer includes recruitment fees, onboarding, lost productivity and knowledge drain. But the indirect cost—burnout in the remaining team, delays in delivery, and cultural disruption—can be even more damaging.

According to Gartner’s Engineering Workforce Trends (2023), each tech hire lost within the first 12 months costs the business over £28,000. And it’s not just startups—mid-sized SaaS companies and enterprise dev teams alike report that retaining permanent engineers is now one of their top three operational challenges.

Hiring for Retention Starts at the Offer Stage
Retention doesn’t begin on day one—it begins during the hiring process. When candidates feel seen, heard and understood, they’re more likely to commit for the long haul. At Jobpeals, we take a career-first approach. We don’t just ask what candidates can do now—we ask what they want to grow into.

This insight helps us pair individuals with companies where their next 12–36 months are clearly defined. According to LinkedIn’s Hiring for Retention Playbook (2024), employees who see a clear path for advancement within the first 90 days are 70% more likely to stay beyond year two.

Alignment Over Urgency
It’s tempting to hire quickly to plug a gap. But rushed decisions often lead to mismatches—candidates who don’t share your technical philosophy, or who view the role as a stepping stone rather than a strategic move. That’s why Jobpeals helps clients hire for trajectory, not just technical fit.

We look beyond the CV and consider how a candidate’s work style, ambitions, and personality will mesh with your team over time. In the world of tech careers, alignment beats availability every time.

Culture is Built Through Consistency
A consistent, well-integrated team builds a stronger product. When engineers stay longer, they build trust, optimise processes, and contribute meaningfully to the evolution of your platform. Frequent turnover forces teams to reset, re-onboard, and redistribute workload—breaking rhythm and weakening morale.

Jobpeals supports employers in building long-term culture through recruitment. We highlight your values during outreach, reinforce them in interviews, and use post-placement feedback to improve future hiring decisions. This creates a positive loop where every hire strengthens—not strains—your team dynamic.

Flexibility as a Retention Tool
While culture matters, so does freedom. Flexibility around remote work, learning pathways, and career ownership is critical for retaining developers and IT professionals today. According to McKinsey (2022), flexible structures are the number one retention driver for full-time tech talent under 35.

Jobpeals helps clients offer flexibility in practical, sustainable ways—balancing team needs with individual autonomy. This could include flexible scheduling, remote-first options or quarterly learning stipends. These benefits build trust and reduce the risk of turnover without compromising delivery.

The Role of Strategic Hiring Partners
Internal teams often struggle to think long-term while fighting short-term fires. That’s where Jobpeals comes in. We act as your strategic hiring arm—mapping future skills needs, identifying retention risks, and sourcing candidates who align with your company’s next chapter.

Unlike transactional recruiters, we don’t just aim for “placement.” We aim for permanence. It’s why our average tenure per placement exceeds 24 months—significantly above the industry norm.

Conclusion
In a high-churn industry, building a long-term team is both a strategic advantage and a cultural necessity. The cost of constant turnover is too high—not just in pounds, but in momentum, morale and mission. At Jobpeals, we help companies hire differently. We focus on fit, foresight and follow-through.

If you’re ready to stop refilling seats and start building a sustainable engineering culture, we’re the partner to help you do it. We don’t just find great people—we help them stay great inside your business.

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References

1. Gartner, “Engineering Workforce Trends,” 2023
2. McKinsey & Company, “Retention in Tech Hiring,” 2022
3. LinkedIn, “Hiring for Retention Playbook,” 2024
4. Stack Overflow, “Developer Tenure Report,” 2023
5. SHRM, “Cost of Replacing Tech Talent,” 2022
6. Deloitte, “Why Developers Leave,” 2023
7. Jobvite, “Onboarding and Retention Metrics,” 2023
8. HBR, “Sustainable Hiring in Engineering,” 2022
9. Glassdoor, “Retention Indicators in IT Roles,” 2023
10. CWJobs, “UK Dev Team Trends,” 2023
11. CIPD, “Talent Planning Survey,” 2022
12. Forbes, “Retention Strategies for Scaleups,” 2023