Retaining Project Managers: Insights from the Volunteering Sector

Australia faces significant challenges in retaining skilled project managers due to high stress levels causing early departures, jeopardising project success. This study investigates retention strategies from the volunteer sector to enhance project manager retention. On one side, a systematic literature review identified challenges in project managers’ retention. On the other side, qualitative interviews within the volunteering sector found effective retention strategies within this sector. Based on the findings, a model categorising volunteer behaviours and the strategic approaches organisations in the volunteering sector implement to prevent volunteers from leaving were documented. In a final step, the documented strategies of the organisations in the volunteering sector were adapted to address project management challenges. The research offers actionable recommendations to foster a resilient project management workforce, contributing a novel perspective by leveraging insights from the volunteer sector. This study underscores the value of cross-sector learning in developing sustainable retention solutions for project management.