Keeping Developers Happy!

The IT industry has seen a lack of developers lately, or at least in my area. The offshoring efforts seem to be producing mediocre results and while offshoring has it’s place in the market, an onsite dev team is irreplaceable. We are finally starting to see how important one good dedicated IT person can be! So with that in mind how do we keep them happy?

A few months ago I was sitting in a weekly staff meeting, some of you may think blech, but interesting figures and company facts are actually shared in our staff meetings so it’s interesting. Anyway, my boss started talking about the different generations (X, Y, whatever) and what they valued as far as incentives. She said that Gen Y (1978 – 2000 birthdate) value flexibility. I didn’t think much of it at the time so I went on.

I recently read this article. This got me thinking… and she was right. I hear tons of developers that talk about how important “flex-time” is, and how they were promised that but don’t really get it, and so on. Funny thing is that I have that kind of arrangement, and it would take a rather large sum of money to get me out away from my current employer(or the loss of said flexibility, not that I would leave if that was lost, but the appeal would no longer be there). I get a few job offers here and there and the answer is always the same: “Sorry, happy where I’m at!”

So what’s the moral of the story? Your developers won’t always do their best work onsite. Making them wear suits, other office wear, and constantly riding them about being there between 9-5 will only make them want to do one thing… Leave! With the market being as hot as it is right now, a developer can get another position in about 1 month after choosing to leave a company. Point is, keep your people happy, give them a little breathing room, and understand that they will probably work off hours to deliver something.

These things in combination with a few salary boosts and general “good job”s will make sure you retain your talent. If you want to go above and beyond offer training opportunities. Educate your people on the latest and greatest. Understand that technology is a tool that can be used to improve business, not just a necessary evil. No developer in their right mind(unless extremely greedy) would leave a place that is flexible, provides incentives, and has a general interest in training!

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