Digital transformation could be at risk from developer burnout
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The pressure to fill developer positions with qualified candidates with the right skills is holding many companies back from achieving full success, new research finds.
In addition to the struggle to bring in new talent, existing developers are feeling the pressure as companies struggle to recruit developers fast enough.
Rapidly increasing workloads are increasing faster than the workforce can grow, Dynatrace notes, and if left unaddressed can increasingly lead to developer burnout, jeopardizing digital transformation.
Developer jobs
However, it gets even worse, because this knife is double-edged. Dynatrace notes that companies face two opposing challenges: a pandemic-induced boom in digital transformation that ultimately opens up thousands of new job openings, and a labor shortage that leaves those positions unfilled.
The company’s research shows that nearly three-quarters (72%) of tech teams have a skills gap that they seem unable to fill. It is said that 2 million tech jobs have been advertised between May 2021 and 2022, and the pay has never been higher.
Tech salaries average nearly 80% higher than non-tech equivalents, with a 22% increase in developer and DevOps salaries. In an effort to make the transition more attractive, lower-paying jobs for developers saw a significant 40% pay increase.
“Developers are under significant pressure to keep up with innovation cycles, and a talent shortage is creating more work for existing teams,” said Greg Adams, Regional VP for the UK and Ireland at Dynatrace.
“This leads to developer burnout as teams can’t handle the increasing workload. Organizations need to do more than increase salaries to reduce developer burnout or risk derailing their digital transformation journey.”
The company says part of the solution should include automation, allowing developers to focus on what’s important, with less spending on “manual efforts to keep the lights on.”