The Developer Experience of LGBTQIA+ People in Agile Teams: a Multivocal Literature Review

TL;DR

This work investigates the developer experience (DX) of LGBTQIA+ professionals in agile software teams by integrating peer-reviewed and grey literature in a multivocal literature review. It uses a GQM framework and a five-stage process (SLR+GLR, snowballing, thematic synthesis) to identify challenges, expectations, and actionable recommendations. Key findings show invisibility, prejudice, and discrimination undermine DX, while inclusive, remote or hybrid setups and structured D&I policies enhance engagement and performance. The results offer practical guidance for organizations to foster psychological safety, visibility, and belonging, with implications for policy and practice in agile software development.

Abstract

Research on underrepresented populations is essential for fostering greater diversity within the software industry. Team diversity is important for reasons that go beyond ethics. Diversity contributes to greater innovation and productivity, helping decrease turnover rates and reduce team conflicts. Within this context, LGBTQIA+ software engineering professionals face unique challenges, e.g., self-isolation and invisibility feeling. Developer Experience (DX) encompasses cognitive, emotional, and motivational considerations, supporting the idea that improving how DX can enhance team performance, strengthen collaboration, and lead to more successful software projects. This study aimed to examine traditional and grey literature data through a Multivocal Literature Review focused on the DX of LGBTQIA+ professionals in agile teams. Our findings reveal that issues such as invisibility, prejudice, and discrimination adversely affect their experiences, compounded by the predominance of heterosexual males in the field. Conversely, professionals who feel welcomed by their teams and organizations, especially in processes tailored to their needs, report more positive team dynamics and engagement.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Process of filtering, classifying and analyzing articles from review and snowballing.
• Figure 2: Snowballing performed to enrich the literature review
• Figure 3: Grey literature review process/method execution.