Not every company can pay enormous salaries to its tech professionals. However, every company can figure out a package of benefits and perks that keep tech professionals happy and more inclined to stick around. But of those benefits and perks, which are most desirable?
HackerEarth’s latest State of the Developer Ecosystem report, drawn from “thousands” of responses from developers, hiring managers, and tech recruiters, suggests that developers and other tech professionals really want upskilling opportunities, mental health and wellness initiatives, and clarity on the organization’s tech stack, among other benefits. Check out the full chart:
Significant portions of tech professionals also want flexible schedules, as represented by a four-day workweek and unlimited PTO. That finding aligns with other studies over the past few years, which have generally shown that rigid schedules and a lack of flexibility over hybrid work (i.e., allowing employees to work from home a few days per week) are big ways to drive tech pros from an organization.
Many companies also aren’t providing the benefits that tech pros actually want. The latest edition of Dice’s Tech Salary Report found that 72 percent of tech pros considered training and education an important benefit, but only 46 percent actually received it from their employer. Similarly, 74 percent rated a flexible schedule as important, despite 60 percent having one. At least employers and tech pros seemed more aligned on wellness, behavioral, and mental health benefits: 58 percent viewed those as important, and 52 percent reported receiving them.
With organizations everywhere tightening their budgets, the strategic usage of benefits and perks to attract and retain top talent will only increase. For those teams without a Google-sized budget for tech professionals, offering things like flexible schedules and mental health benefits could prove key in the years ahead.