It’s a developer’s world and they know it. The best way you’re going to get the talent you want is to play their game. Companies need developers now more than ever. We decided to provide our collective expertise and give you a breakdown of what developers want in a job.
Remote Work
One of the biggest changes in the job market has been the rise of remote work. Developers are well-suited to remote work because their job involves working independently on computers. A lot of the developers we talk to now consider remote work a must-have when asked what they want in a job.
Working remotely offers increased flexibility, improved work-life balance, and the ability to work from anywhere. Companies that offer remote work options can attract top talent from anywhere in the world, expanding their pool of candidates and improving diversity and inclusion.
If you want access to the best candidates possible, it would help your efforts to offer flexible work arrangements, like fully remote or hybrid work models. You can also provide the tools and resources necessary to support remote work, such as video conferencing software, project management tools, and secure access to company systems.
By showing a considered effort to meet a developer’s need for remote work, you can put your company in a strong position to accept the best candidates possible. Not only that but there are many benefits that a remote work environment can provide.
Company Culture
Showing a developer your values, attitudes, behaviours, and practices that define how your organisation operates will do wonders in attracting the talent you want. Developers place a high value on company culture when considering job opportunities.
A positive company culture can improve job satisfaction, increase productivity, and reduce turnover rates. Developers want to work for companies that prioritise employee well-being and foster a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Making an effort to show your company culture during the recruitment process can show a developer that your organisation is somewhere they want to work. You will also be able to set expectations before your candidate even begins working, making the onboarding process smoother.
To create a positive company culture, you can prioritise employee well-being by offering benefits such as mental health resources, flexible work arrangements, and a healthy work-life balance. You can also foster a collaborative and supportive work environment by encouraging open communication, providing opportunities for professional growth, and recognising and rewarding employee contributions.
Medical Aid
Developers often spend long hours sitting in front of a computer, which can lead to health issues such as eye strain, neck and back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. As a result, medical aid is an important consideration for many developers when choosing a job.
Your company can offer medical aid as part of its benefits package, which can include health insurance, vision care, and ergonomic workstations. Additionally, you can encourage healthy habits by offering wellness programs, such as gym memberships or healthy snack options.
It’s important to remember that developers are people. They often have families that need to be taken care of. By positioning yourself as an organisation that understands and values their families and significant others, you can put yourself as the place where developers want to work.
This can help reinforce ideas around your company culture. If part of your values is caring for your team, then a great way to show that would be employee benefits such as medical aid.
Flexible Hours
Developers often work irregular hours, including late nights and weekends, to meet project deadlines. They also value flexibility in their work schedules to accommodate personal and family responsibilities.
To meet this need, your company can offer flexible work hours, such as a flexible start and end time or the ability to work from home when necessary. You can also offer paid time off or work-from-home days to allow developers to recharge and avoid burnout.
Developers rarely love a caustic corporate environment. Providing a degree of flexibility in their working hours can change how a developer might perceive your workplace. You will also be able to get the most out of your developers once they are hired.
Developers tend to be very goal-oriented and work on projects because they are passionate. If you can maximise their comfort and address their needs, then developers will be able to focus more of their time and energy on their work, giving you the most value you can get.
Cutting Edge Tech
Developers want to be working on the best and newest technology available. Developers are a passionate group of people, who above all, love what they do. If your company can promise exciting work, then you will be at a massive advantage when it comes to attracting tech talent.
It also represents beneficial opportunities for their career. Developers are often concerned about the industry moving past them, and so they want to keep their skills sharp and relevant.
Working with emerging tech and making sure that is communicated in the recruitment process can be an incredibly valuable way to attract the ideal development talent to your organisation.
Competitive Pay
Money talks and so it’s best you talk loudly. Software development is a high-demand field, and top talent is a precious resource. Developers are highly skilled and even more highly sought after. If you want to get the best talent out there then you will need to pay up. Working with tech recruiters can help you find the very best talent out there without breaking the bank.
However, there are limits to what a recruiter can do. If you are struggling to find the talent you want, it might be because your pay brackets are too low. You also need to consider the fact that your biggest competition for talent is going to be international companies. With a favourable exchange rate, they are going to be able to pay local developers a lot more than local companies.
If you are an internationally based company, it is worth looking at working with South African developers who will be able to do what an international developer can do but at a fraction of the cost.
If you’re not sure you are paying competitive salaries, it would be worth your while to research market rates for software developers and offer salaries and benefits packages that are in line with industry standards. You can also offer bonuses or profit sharing to incentivise performance and loyalty.
Conclusion
Developers have specific needs and wants when considering job opportunities. If you want the best talent possible then you will need to meet those needs.
By providing an emphasis on remote work options, fostering a positive company culture, providing medical aid, offering flexible work arrangements, and providing competitive pay, you will be better positioned to attract and retain top talent in the industry. You can make your workplace what developers want in a job, and therefore get exactly what you want in a developer. Prioritising the needs of their employees, you can create a more productive, innovative, and successful work environment.
Special thanks to Kelly Ward, Kaylin Shapiro, Marie Swart, Stacey Walker, Sarah Belgarion Van Niekerk, and Maxime Dumas for their invaluable insights in creating this article.
