How to Make Developers Happy? A StackOverflow Survey

In the realm of technology, developers make the world go round. Developers are vital to the technology evolution, from software that powers big corporations to applications that everyone uses. Keeping them happy may just be the recipe for success, as shown by a recent developer satisfaction survey.

StackOverflow, the largest forum and community for developers, conducts an annual developer survey to find the latest technology trends and developer profiles.

In the 2022 StackOverflow Developer Survey, some findings suggest that companies need to do more to increase their satisfaction.

Key Findings from the 2022 StackOverflow Developer Survey

While most of the questions in the StackOverflow survey pertain to employment and technology stack, some insights also hint at developers' challenging work environment. The survey asked questions from over 73,000 developers from 180 countries.

Here are some of the key findings:

• Over 70 percent of respondents said they learn coding online.
• Rust and Python are the most wanted technologies (languages).
• MATLAB is the most dreaded language.
• AWS is the most loved cloud platform, whereas IBM Cloud or Watson is the most dreaded.
• GitHub remains the most used version control system.
• 66 percent of professional developers have some influence on their organization’s technology purchase decisions.
• 88 percent of developers code outside of work, with most (over 72 percent) doing it as a hobby.
• Nearly 98 percent report using StackOverflow.

Here are some key findings from the developer satisfaction survey that shed light on developer experience challenges:

• One in four professional developers said they couldn’t find up-to-date information within their company. They can’t find answers to questions with existing resources.
• Half the respondents say that knowledge silos and seeking answers disrupts their workflow.
• 68 percent of respondents said they face a knowledge silo at least once a week.
• 62 percent of respondents said they spend half an hour looking for answers every day.
• 46 percent spend at least 30 minutes a day answering questions.
• Only 38 percent say their organization has a developer portal to find tools and services.

From the survey, it’s clear that factors like flexible work arrangements, the ability to influence technology decisions, and spending less time waiting for answers can directly impact a developer’s experience and give them more autonomy.

Strategies for Making Developers Happy

Happy developers are productive developers, which can be a win-win situation for all parties. Another StackOverflow study tends to demonstrate this. This one is more specific than the one just mentioned. It looks at what makes developers happy or not.

Invest in the Right Technology

A lack of technological resources can cause disruptions. That impacts developer productivity and efficiency. It’s imperative to invest in the best hardware and tools you can afford to empower developers.

Tools that streamline workflows and simplify collaboration and teamwork can dramatically improve efficiency, impacting their satisfaction with their work.

Provide Opportunities for Professional Growth

Some StackOverflow survey responses show that developers want to branch out and learn new languages and tools. Career advancement opportunities such as training workshops can result in their skill development.

Eliminate Disruptions that Impact Productivity

Developers want to be more productive. Disruptions such as unclear requirements or delays in approvals can have a negative impact. Creating well-defined workflows and processes can enable developers to communicate their concerns to management faster and work with minimal disruptions.

Again, tools that eliminate bottlenecks in the workflow can help immensely.

Recognition and Reward

Employee recognition is important because you risk creating mediocre developers without rewarding their effort. In addition to competitive compensation, extra effort should be rewarded with benefits and perks.

Challenges to Developer Happiness

Leaders and the company as a whole should deal with hurdles to developer satisfaction and happiness. Here are some common challenges:

Burnout

Developer burnout is very real, and it’s important to implement smooth workload management. You may be asking too much of some developers. It’s critical to provide developers with the right work-life balance.

Lack of Communication and Support

Poor communication and lack of support are the biggest challenges to a good developer experience. Developers are often unable to communicate their concerns, and even if they do, they’re not fully understood. Similarly, supportive management is necessary to encourage open communication.

Workplace Toxicity

Negative work culture impacts developer productivity and takes a toll on their mental health and wellness. On the other hand, a positive work culture where people collaborate and show compassion can uplift developers and increase their satisfaction with their workplace.

Conclusion

The developer satisfaction survey by StackOverflow survey reveals some valuable insights. These can help companies increase job satisfaction for developers and make them happy.

They want better technologies that make their workflow better. They don’t want to wait too long for answers. And they want to learn new skills and advance in their careers.

Creating a positive work environment where developers can thrive professionally and have support can make a huge impact.

Investing in tools like Mergify can make working with GitHub easy and manageable for developers. They can create automatic workflows and merge their pull requests quickly. Learn more about Mergify and try it for free!