Why some of the best developers keep quitting
fastcompany.com
Why some of the best developers keep quitting
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Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#2I definitely try to take the mantra "never be the smartest person in the room" to heart.
It has been a fairly decent indicator of how enjoyable I've found working those particular roles.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#3It's rare to also see these articles point out the immense pay discrepancy that can occur.
Companies seem to want loyalty but they don't want to give it. This leads to the merc approach of just selling to the highest bidder.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#4Also - let the developers choose the work. We have a big todo list on the wall, and when a developer needs work, they can choose from the list.
If a developer comes to me with a new idea, and it sounds viable, then I give them a bonus based on how well it executes. Everyone is incentivised and motivated to come up with new exciting projects.
Smart developers want to create, so set them free! Autonomy, mastery, purpose = productive and happy
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#5So it's not because they're following through with their threats to quit if your workplace isn't converted into a safe space?
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#6It's rare to also see these articles point out the immense pay discrepancy that can occur. Companies seem to want loyalty but they don't want to give it. This leads to the merc approach of just selling to the highest bidder.
To be honest (at least in my experience) if you are really worth $X as a developer, you can generally get your current employer to give you $X if you are proactive about it.
Quitting generally has more to do with:
A) "You (the employer) Waited Until The Exit Interview To Ask What’s Wrong"
B) "You (the employee) Waited Until The Exit Interview To Convey What's Wrong"
Leaving my last job, I told them what I wanted 1-2 years before I actually left (for more money, but that wasn't the primary cause). The CEO basically told me in the exit interview if it was about money, he'd give me another 30% to get me to stay (and they had countered with that before, back when I told them what I needed to stay long term).
Money isn't necessarily the cause. Its the lack of willingness to communicate and meet the other person's needs.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#7None of these 4 reasons (TD;LR: you waited until the exit interview, you assume mentors want to manage, you assume the natural ascension of developers is management and not higher-level IC roles, you aren't supporting them and their career) are why they quit.
People quit because the modern, zero-loyalty, everyone-for-hire company does not provide a long term strategy for providing intrinsic motivation (autonomy, mastery, purpose); they don't want to pay for retention and therefore don't provide perks for retention.
Until this changes, it should never surprise a manager why churn is high and average tenure is less than 2 years. If you are a manager (especially middle management - meaning you don't have the scope to make massive, company-wide cultural changes), it's best to look at your directs as someone to help them advance for their next job. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but if you lead with transparency on the landscape, you build authenticity and trust with your directs, which will go much further for your relationship while you are working together.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#8It's rare to also see these articles point out the immense pay discrepancy that can occur. Companies seem to want loyalty but they don't want to give it. This leads to the merc approach of just selling to the highest bidder.
In my experience while a developer will say it's not about the money, if the gap is big enough it is disrespectful to the developer and they will (easily) find employment elsewhere.
Often time's it's not actually about the money. But the low pay (relatively) is a signal to the developer of how much / little you value them.
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#9I definitely try to take the mantra "never be the smartest person in the room" to heart. It has been a fairly decent indicator of how enjoyable I've found working those particular roles.
How do you know when taking a job if you will be working with smart or dumb people? I'm not having good luck and want to work with smart people...
Re: Why some of the best developers keep quitting
#10I definitely try to take the mantra "never be the smartest person in the room" to heart. It has been a fairly decent indicator of how enjoyable I've found working those particular roles.
How do you know when taking a job if you will be working with smart or dumb people? I'm not having good luck and want to work with smart people...
You can't know that reliably, but the recruitment process typically involves meeting the team you are being considered for, which is at least something. You do however have excellent intel on your current situation, telling you it's time to move on.
Perhaps I should re-phrase it to "most knowledgable person in the room", since there will always be a lot of new things to learn when switching jobs.