Several "truths" about the shortage of software developers

Many companies have realized the importance of modernizing legacy systems, improving operational efficiency, and attracting customers through innovative solutions, which means that companies need to recruit more software developers. Technological innovation requires professional software development talents and development tools. Without software developers, there will be no new technologies. If the tools are not reliable, they cannot assist developers in creating economical and practical new technologies.

This article will briefly analyze the shortage of developers in enterprises, and list several sets of statistics that can reflect the prevalence of the shortage of developers to a certain extent. In addition, this article will propose solutions to fill this shortage.

It takes 80 days to fill a developer position

In 2016, it took 66 days to fill a developer position; by 2019, this time had risen to 80 days, while the average time to fill a non-technical position was only 42 days. According to iCIMS research, the reason for the longer time is that the number of candidates applying for each position has increased, and companies must spend more time interviewing in order to select the most suitable candidates.

In fact, if companies want to quickly find the right candidates to fill these open developer positions, they can combine traditional and non-traditional methods in the recruitment stage (which will be detailed below).

25% of households use voice assistants

As new technologies are gradually integrated into consumers' daily lives, the demand for software developers is growing. Industries such as banking and insurance, which were once less sensitive to emerging technologies, are now facing huge competitive pressures and have to undergo digital transformation to provide consumers with the latest products and services through a variety of devices and platforms. In addition, with the popularity of smartphones and smart homes, a large number of consumers prefer services with features such as voice assistants.

Only 31% of companies believe their recruitment efficiency is ideal

As the number of applicants for software developer positions increases, the hiring cycle is getting longer and longer, and less than a third of companies believe that recruiting is the most effective way to fill developer gaps. Instead, companies that are open to non-traditional candidates or implement internal training programs are better able to fill technical talent gaps.

63% of developers enjoy solving problems

Companies can make these job descriptions more attractive by understanding the core key factors that developers take on in different roles. Hired asked software developers what attracted them to their careers, and 72% answered "the ability to face new challenges and continuous learning," while 63% answered "the ability to build solutions and solve problems."

How Companies Can Fill the Software Developer Gap by 2022

Despite these statistics, executives can still attract top talent and fill the software developer gap. To do so, companies can:

• Increase investment in employee training;

• Provide better benefits;

• Break the traditional recruitment thinking;

• Increase investment in low-code/no-code platforms.

Increase investment in employee training

To fill the developer gap in 2022, companies need to develop their own employee training programs to help employees who lack technical backgrounds upgrade their skills so that they can become more productive faster. In the McKinsey survey, half of the leaders believed that skill building would be more effective in filling the gap than simply hiring more developers because existing team members are already familiar with the core operating elements or customers of the company's business.

Provide better benefits

As employers have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are placing greater emphasis on benefits, including health insurance, as well as the option to work remotely and flexible hours. The Pew Research Center found that 45% of respondents want companies to offer flexible work arrangements. To stand out in the competition for talent, companies need to consider these preferences of candidates.

Breaking the traditional recruitment thinking

Robert Cireddu, Director of Technology at Madison Neighborhood University in Ohio, USA, puts it best: “As with any job, the key to success with non-traditional hiring and internal training is hiring the right people, providing them with the right training, allowing them to fail at work, and giving them the independence and freedom they need to succeed.”

Finding candidates with non-technical backgrounds can help close the developer gap and provide companies with the skills they need to remain competitive, but companies must carefully study their characteristics and provide appropriate training. Companies need to think outside the box and recruit people with non-traditional backgrounds who can solve problems into software development positions to fully utilize their excellent soft skills and business acumen.

Increased investment in low-code/no-code platforms

Through low-code and no-code platforms , companies can allow analysts to join business departments, allowing them to develop simple applications without coding, thereby accelerating application delivery. Under the pressure of increasing customer requirements and rapid iteration and delivery, development managers need to rely on forces beyond the scope, experience and skills of their own teams.

The emergence of low-code development platforms allows enterprises to combine traditional and non-traditional approaches to fill the software developer gap by empowering citizen developers or people without a coding background to further contribute their business insights. As application demand continues to soar, adopting alternative strategies to fill the developer gap can successfully improve the overall efficiency of development teams and enterprises.