The job market has undergone drastic changes in recent years. From remote work emerging to global inflation and mass layoffs, the tech sector has experienced its fair share of ups and downs. But how has this impacted what developers prioritize?
Successful employer branding is based on understanding your target audience. And what better way to achieve this than by learning about what matters most to them? We've conducted an in-depth analysis (based on the Stack Overflow survey) of how developers' priorities have shifted over the past eight years, and what we can learn from it moving forward.
If you haven’t heard about Stack Overflow’s survey - it’s the largest survey for techies - averages around 85,000 participants from over 180 countries worldwide.
Trend #1: Flexibility and Work-Life Balance Reign Supreme
Before COVID, commute time was one of the key factors impacting career choices. However, with Covid, the expectations have changed - Developers now value the ability to work remotely, maintain flexible schedules, and achieve work-life balance.
We’ve seen a dramatic rise, coinciding with the increase of companies adopting RTO (Return to the office) - flexibility is now the #1 factor impacting engineers when looking for a new job.
How can we leverage the trend? Focus on translating flexibility into strategy and creativity- and ensure candidates know how much flexibility they’ll have upfront.
Trend #2: Compensation Makes a Comeback
For years, compensation and benefits were top priorities for developers seeking new positions. During the pandemic, with a booming tech industry, this factor seemingly lost importance. Developers appeared less concerned about compensation. But with recent market fluctuations and mass layoffs, the trend has shifted. Compensation and benefits are now back among the top three deciding factors when applying for new jobs or staying with current employers.
We know what you’re thinking - Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding have no control over Compensation and benefits…However, we have control over how messaging is communicated to potential candidates. Do you keep hearing feedback about pay? Consider shifting the comms strategy recruiters use.
Trend #3: The Tech Stack Takes Center Stage
It's no secret that developers are drawn to working with the most cutting-edge and innovative technologies. In the past 7 years, the importance of the languages and frameworks developers use has grown significantly - and is now one of the top factors when deciding on a new role. So if you weren’t already - this is your reminder to focus on technology and dev experience to attract the right talent.
How can we use those trends to our advantage when it comes to Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing?
