Top 10 Things Developers Value in the Workplace

The demand for developers is at an all time high and in order to attract and retain the top tech talent, it’s important for employers to understand what developers value in the workplace. 

According to Stack Overflow’s 2016 Global report, Developer Hiring Landscape, 62.8% of developers are passive candidates. This is great for companies looking to acquire new talent but a bit concerning for those trying to retain their top performers.

To better understand what developers are looking for, here are the top 10 things they value in the workplace and easy ways for you to incorporate them in your culture. 

1. Implement avenues for continued learning of new technologies
   • Conferences, online courses, certifications and hackathons are all great ways to get your employees networking with like-minded professionals while staying on top of new technologies and best practices.
2. Building something new
   • Give your employees “free-range” to explore new projects – this is a win-win for all.
   • At Google, they have a 20% time which encourages their employees to work on side projects to keep their developers excited about work and their skill set up-to-date.
3. Having control over product decisions
   • If your developers are more familiar with your product, trust their knowledge and expertise to lead product decisions.
   • Empowering your employees to take ownership will help them recognize the value they contribute to the growth and success of your company.
4. Improving an existing application
   • Through networking, research, and continued learning, your developers may have the solution to take your application to the next level.
   • If it’s not interfering with their other projects, let them take a stab at it – who knows what will come from it.
5. Believing in the company mission
   • If developers do not believe in the company mission, they will not believe in the work they do.
   • Brand yourself as a world-class employer to attract and retain the best by showcasing your culture, the team, and the values of the company.
6. Working on a variety of projects
   • This is another avenue for continued learning in addition to expanding their scope of knowledge.
   • We established SelectOne Committees to drive growth and success for the company. Each committee works autonomously and is comprised of a collective group of employees tasked with driving results while providing employees the opportunity to gain exposure outside of their role.
7. Getting promoted
   • 36% of workers feel they were overlooked for a promotion at some point in their career.
   • 82% of workers are at risk for leaving their job when they do not get any recognition for their hard work.
   • Acknowledge your top performers and provide opportunities for advancement to help them achieve their career goals.   
8. Working from home
   • The top tech talent you’re seeking may not be in the same city as your organization, but could be in another country. The perk of working remotely allows you to expand your horizon (and search) to enhance the likelihood of finding the perfect candidate.
   • The flexibility to work from home is proven to increase the retention rate for employees with families.
9. Having my own office
   • Find ways to arrange your office space to create a distraction-free environment.
   • Talk with your developers to understand what the biggest distractions are for them and how you can work together to mitigate the noise
10. Ending the workday at the same time every day
    • You cannot expect your employees to be on the clock 24/7 - this is a huge contributing factor to an employee’s decision to leave your organization.
    • An overloaded employee is not a productive employee. Help your team manage their workload to ensure they get out of work at the same time each day.

Everyone is different and what works for Google may not be the best solution for you. So, before you make any changes, schedule meetings with your developers to understand their values and what (if anything) you can do to create a workplace to fuel their success.