What defines places where software developers want to be?
“A record number of employees are quitting or thinking about doing so. More than 19 million U.S. workers — and counting — have quit their jobs since April 2021, a record pace disrupting businesses everywhere. “
This is an alarming statement from a McKinsey article titled ‘Great Attrition’ or ‘Great Attraction‘? The choice is yours that sheds light on the current labor shortage problem linked with the Great Resignation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics further reported that 10.6 million jobs remain unfilled.
It’s clear that Americans are evaluating their relationship with work today and company owners need a rethinking of labor. But what’s more surprising is it’s the software developers who are leading the exodus.
In theory, software developers should be more stable during the pandemic since they can easily do their job remotely. But a Harvard Business Review study discovered the resignation rates are highest in healthcare and tech.
Resignations among healthcare workers who have been on the front lines of the pandemic for nearly three years aren’t a surprise. But what’s driving 21% of developers to leave their current role and look for new jobs?
Software developers desire a sense of purpose at work
All articles covering the great resignation and the role of software developers in it share a common theme. “This mass quitting of labor isn’t because of lower pay — it’s because there is a lack of purpose for the person within the company.“
Developers care about learning and growing. They want to be a part of a developer-first culture that puts their talents and coding prowess to use while giving them a meaningful level of autonomy over their work.
An article in The Atlantic explains this further by pointing out how “quitting is a concept typically associated with users and loafers,“ but the great resignation is “an expression of optimism that says, We can do better.“
Software developers want to do better. They know they deserve better.
So, what defines places where software developers want to be?
1. Give your team purpose and opportunities for career growth
We’ve seen firsthand, that our team members are more productive and happier when they have a sense of purpose. So when we give them the freedom to find their purpose, they feel like they are contributing to something bigger than themselves.
For example, our team members know that they can challenge themselves to work in different areas and contribute to our mission. They know that we will provide them with training, resources, and mentorship to grow into their role and find their purpose as well.
Having growth opportunities and a purpose is necessary to retain top talent. Since we start the recruitment process, we always ask candidates about their career plans, which professional areas they want to grow, and what they want to learn. Based on that, we look within Simpat Tech for the best opportunities to show their potential and boost their growth.
2. Sense of belonging (focus on cultural fit)
Building a workforce of similar-minded people has helped us achieve a 100% retention rate.
The Culture Fit is one of the most important pillars in the recruitment process. At Simpat Tech, we take care of our people, and when we bring someone to the family, we always want to make sure that they will be a good fit for our great environment and that they are always looking for growth; basically, that their values match with us.
We strongly believe our company culture defines our ethos and workflows, making each member stick together and create a balanced synergy to keep evolving — thriving. We have built a workforce of similar-minded people who enjoy working with each other because the same core values connect them.
Unlike other software development companies, we don’t have investors dictating its terms and deciding clients. Instead, our leaders have been on the other side of the company and use their previous experiences, alongside Simpat Tech’s core values, to build a unique, collaborative work culture where each member feels a sense of belonging.
3. A healthy and collaborative work culture
One of the things we pride ourselves on is the high quality of work. And the only reason this is possible is because of the commitment and enthusiasm of our team members.
We strongly believe that when we invest in our team members, they also reciprocate and readily invest their efforts and time to ensure the best results for the clients. By giving team members the freedom to pursue what they want and connecting it to their job.
In the end, it’s a win-win for all the involved parties — the client, the management, and the team.