The worldwide software developer shortage is rising at an alarming rate. Find out how organizations can navigate the scarcity of technical talent in such demanding times.
If you’re a developer or hiring manager, the software developer shortage is something you’ve likely already felt. If not, it’s coming your way.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that the demand for software development professionals will continue to rise by 22% from 2020 to 2030. The problem is that there aren’t enough developers—or “developers in training”—to fill these roles. But why is this happening? And what can we do about it?
Software developers play an essential role in our society because they create computer and mobile applications that are changing our lives. With this rise in technology use among consumers over time, there is an increased demand for developers who can build apps for multiple platforms. As a result, there is an overall scarcity of software developers worldwide today.
Why is the Software Developer Shortage happening?
The continuing rise of digital technology and its impact on the workforce has spurred a demand for software developers. And this demand for software developers is only expected to continue. The need for more complex applications, increasing security concerns, and an increased focus on data analytics drive the increasing growth.
The Continuing Rise of Digital Technology
The digital revolution continues transforming how we live, work and play. Digital technology has become a necessity in our daily lives, from entertainment to banking and government services. The need for skilled workers with the knowledge to develop, maintain, and apply innovations has never been greater.
The workforce must continue to evolve for businesses to remain competitive in an ever-changing environment. Here are more reasons to explain why there is a talent shortage in the software development field:
1. Lack of Education in Computer Science
In the US, only 51% of high schools offer one or more computer classes or courses. This number implies that only half of US students have access to computer science education. As a result, students have to wait to get into college to start learning and exploring the field. Few graduates have the opportunity to gain the skillset and technical expertise needed to work in the software development industry.
2. Limited Number of Qualified Teachers
Because software development is a lucrative profession, the majority of experts choose to join enterprises rather than pursuing an academic career. With fewer experts choosing to teach, universities that offer computer science majors can only accept a limited number of students.
Aside from that, universities often fail to train students with the essential skills needed to become developers. Many departments tend to teach outdated techniques and unpopular programming languages. As a result, there is a mismatch in skills between school curriculum and real life.
3. Quality of Coding Bootcamps
Bootcamps are the perfect way for students to enter the industry. However, not all coding boot camps offer quality curricula for aspiring software developers and engineers. Many of these boot camps offer limited skills training.
Even with the availability of these crash courses, they still tend to charge high rates to attend. As most attendees tend to be students or beginners with little to no income, joining such coding bootcamps can quickly become unaffordable.
4. Remote Work Disrupting the Pipeline
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations and developers prefer to work remotely. While this move helped curb the pandemic, it also affected the pipeline of entry-level developers.
Because companies often hire when necessary instead of anticipating future needs, they usually fail to recruit the right talent. And because senior developers are harder to find, having a mentor for new developers has become a challenge. In turn, companies may not be able to hire and train software developers lacking experience.
How to Deal with the Developer Shortage
Experiencing the difficulties in finding new developers for your project? The good news is that there are steps you can take to address the developer shortage head-on. Take a look at how your company can combat today’s developer shortage:
1. Offer Competitive Compensation
Compensation is one of the biggest reasons developers leave their current jobs or decline a job offer. With that said, it’s tough for organizations to compete with big tech companies regarding pay and benefits.
However, many skilled and experienced developers will accept competitive compensation if they see the job as a better opportunity. These opportunities can mean a high chance of career advancement, equity incentives, or a chance to take part in certain software development projects.
2. Remote Work is the Way to Go
The pandemic made remote work a necessity instead of an option. More and more developers prefer to work at home instead of working onsite.
Thus, your organization should adopt the right mindset about work-from-home arrangements. Instead of worrying about low productivity, you can focus on utilizing tools to help your remote workers increase their speed.
3. Offshoring is the Best Choice
Surviving the ultra-competitive hiring market can be very challenging. Competing with venture capitalist-backed startups and big tech companies can be very costly. That is why your best option is not to compete with them. Instead, make your talent search go global.
Recruit world-class software development talent by partnering with offshore companies. Offshoring has many advantages, from afforable salary and operational costs to scalability.
Full Scale: Your Right Offshore Partner!
One major factor you must consider in choosing the best offshoring partner is location. You must make sure that they have the proper IT infrastructure. And having a flourishing IT industry is also one of the main reasons why the Philippines is one of the top offshoring destinations in the world.
Aside from having a flourishing IT sector, the country also boasts world-class software development talent with on-point communication skills.
Full Scale is one of the country’s top offshore software development service company. We have a deep pool of talented developers, engineers, QAs, and other specialists ready to jump onboard with your existing team and project. Our thorough recruitment process ensures that you will work with developers who have the skills to fulfill your project needs and align with your team.
Take a closer look at how our recruitment program works:
Aside from that, Full Scale also understands that every project has a budget. Thus, we offer a client-friendly and capped billing structure.
