The holiday season is typically the time of year that employers give gifts to their employees. They do so as a way to show employee appreciation and to share some joy around the holiday season.
While these gifts may be different for each individual employer, some favorites include gift cards, care packages, chocolates, and personalized desk accessories, just to name a few.
Perhaps the best gift an employer can bestow upon an employee, however, is that of job satisfaction.
But what’s the best way to achieve that? By taking a look at some data, we’re able to offer an answer. Let us explain.
Last month, we shared some of the results reported in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, listing the most popular software development technologies and tools used by developers. As it turns out, the Developer Survey is the gift that keeps on giving.
Below, we dive even deeper into that survey to highlight what it is that motivates employees and keeps them from seeking work elsewhere.
Employee Motivations
In an industry as competitive as IT, and in one where demand for qualified IT professionals far outpaces supply, talent retention is critical. Understanding employee motivators, then, is paramount to attracting and retaining top technical talent.
According to the survey, at least 75% of software developers are either actively looking for a job or are at least open to new opportunities. When asked what motivated them to look, 65% named a better salary as the primary reason, with 39% wanting to work with new technologies, 36% wanting a better work-life balance, and 35% seeking growth or leadership opportunities.
While some of these asks may prove to be a challenge to deliver on, there are other deliverables that can certainly be worked towards.
Perhaps the most achievable is delivering a positive work-life balance. While you may want your employees to be in person, allowing them a flexible work schedule where they can work from home at least part of the time can do numbers to improve their work-life balance. And as the last two years have proven, workers can be quite productive while working from home.
In fact, when it comes to people planning to stay at their jobs, work flexibility (65%) trumps even salary (59%).
When developers do go looking for a new employer, however, they’re seeking a focus on developer experience above all else. Next in line is salary transparency followed closely by opportunities to learn from people outside of their team.
In summation, employees are most satisfied when their needs are met. And when employers can offer employees what they want, talent attraction and retention are rarely an issue. If, however, as an employer, you can only pick one, paying the best can never hurt!
Happy holidays!
