Difficulties of Newcomers Joining Software Projects Already in Execution

It is not uncommon that, in software projects, it is necessary to incorporate new developers at an advanced stage of project execution. These "newcomers" face various difficulties and challenges to find their place in the project that prevents them from starting to contribute quickly to the progress of the project. This article reports the results of an exploratory-descriptive study aimed at identifying the difficulties faced by new team members when they join a project later, as well as identifying actions that are often adopted to mitigate these difficulties. The study reveals that scarse or null documentation and the need to know the product under construction are the main difficulties, while the assignment of a referent and the provision of training are mentioned as the main actions organizations usually take to mitigate those problems.