DEV Community: Alex Olkhovoi

Why Your Dev Team's Morale Matters: The Surprising Impact on Developer Productivity

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:47:46 +0000

Have you noticed that your software developers seem less productive and less motivated than they used to be? If so, you're not alone. Low morale is a silent killer that's affecting tech teams everywhere, and it's having a devastating impact on developer productivity and company growth.

In recent years, the software development industry has experienced a shift in focus towards creating positive work environments for developers. However, despite this shift, many tech teams still suffer from low morale.

In this blog post, we'll explore the impact of morale on tech teams and how managers can boost team morale with AI.

The impact of morale on dev team performance and motivation

As a tech leader, you may have heard the saying, “Happy employees are productive employees”. But have you ever stopped to consider just how true this statement is for your tech team?

Let’s start with defining the terms and find out what team morale is.

Team morale definition

Team morale refers to the overall psychological and emotional well-being and attitudes of a team towards their work, their colleagues, and the organization they work for.

In the tech industry, where creativity and innovation are essential, low morale can have a significant impact on a dev team's performance. A study by the Association for Computing Machinery found that low morale in software development teams can lead to decreased collaboration, decreased job satisfaction, and decreased creativity.

Let’s consider how team morale correlates with developer productivity in detail.

How low morale affects individual productivity

According to a study by Deloitte, 85% of employees who are disengaged from their work say they don't feel motivated to do their best work.

Decreased motivation and engagement can result in lower quality work, missed deadlines, and reduced creativity. When employees are feeling demotivated, they are less likely to take initiative, seek out new challenges, or be proactive in finding solutions to problems.

How low morale affects the productivity of the entire dev team

Low morale in one team member can spread to others, leading to a toxic work environment and decreased collaboration.

A team with low morale may struggle to communicate effectively, leading to a lack of trust between team members and a breakdown in the collaboration process. This can lead to:

Decreased creativity and innovation
Lack of focus and attention to detail
Longer time to complete tasks
Decreased ability to work together effectively
Lack of trust and communication between team members
Reduced motivation to participate in team projects and initiatives
A decrease in overall team performance

Dev teams need to be able to work together to develop, design, and implement software and technology solutions. Effective collaboration is critical for successful project management and ensuring that goals and deadlines are met.

So, the problem of low morale is not just a minor inconvenience, it's affecting the bottom line. Low morale affects not only dev productivity but also overall company growth as a result.

The costs of low morale on company growth

The problems of low team morale and slow and error-prone deployments have been widely recognized and discussed within the tech community. Experienced engineering leaders have commented on the issue, with some stating that it's one of the biggest challenges facing development teams today.

"When a development team lacks motivation and morale, it can greatly impact the quality of work they produce. In my experience, it can lead to a decrease in productivity, and even result in a drop in revenue." - Kent Beck, Founder of Extreme Programming.

Here are the numbers that leadership should definitely pay attention to:

A recent study by the Association for Computing Machinery found that dev teams with low morale and low levels of motivation were less likely to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Furthermore, the study found that these teams were less likely to adopt new technologies and were more likely to experience high levels of staff turnover.
The impact of slow and error-prone deployments due to decreased dev team productivity can result in a loss of $9,000 per minute.

That’s why it’s important to address the low morale issue, not only for the benefit of the dev team members but for the success of the company as a whole.

How to boost morale with AI

As a leader, you play a crucial role in addressing the issue of low morale in your dev team. A positive workplace culture starts at the top, and leaders can set the tone for the rest of the team. By creating a positive and supportive environment, leaders can help improve dev team morale and increase productivity.

There are several strategies to boost employee morale, including:

Improving communication and recognition: By regularly communicating with dev team members during regular team meetings and acknowledging their contributions with feedback, management can help to build a positive workplace culture and increase morale.

You can easily spot your best performers and recognize their achievements with the help of AI.

Ace AI identifies improving performance based on Git data and recommends agenda for a 1 on 1 meeting with a developer. See how it works in practice:

Automatic agenda for 1-on-1 meeting on improved performance

Moreover, Ace AI writes different types of feedback based on work data from Git, Slack, Jira, and other tools.

Automatic feedback in Ace AI

Сreating a positive workplace culture This can be achieved by promoting a supportive and inclusive environment, offering opportunities for professional development, and encouraging team-building activities.

Use Ace AI to set professional development goals for the whole engineering team and help them grow necessary skills and stay up-to-date with the latest technology.

Connect Git and Ace AI will analyze the skill gaps of each developer and create personalized development goals with recommendations on mentors, courses, books, and other learning materials:

Personalized development goals in Ace AI

Providing support and resources Offering support during regular 1-on-1s and providing resources to dev team members can help to reduce stress and increase morale.

Ace AI catches the signs of decreased performance based on Git and CI tool data and recommends 1-on-1 meeting agenda to improve performance:

Automatic agenda for 1-on-1 meeting in Ace AI

Conclusion

Dev team morale is critical to the success of your business. It can lead to decreased motivation, increased turnover, and decreased efficiency, all of which can impact your company's growth.

As a leader, you play a crucial role in improving dev team morale and should prioritize this issue. By creating a positive workplace culture, communicating regularly with your team, and offering opportunities for growth, you can help improve dev team morale and increase productivity.

Remember, happy and motivated employees lead to a more productive and successful tech team. Invest in your dev team's morale, and you'll see the benefits in the growth of your business.

5 Reasons Why Your Tech Team's Morale is Low (and How to Fix Them)

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:39:00 +0000

Is your tech team experiencing high turnover rates and decreased productivity? Are you struggling to maintain the quality of their work and keep your engineers motivated?

Low morale in tech teams is a common issue that affects companies of all sizes. According to a study by Atlassian, low team morale can result in a decrease in productivity by up to 32%. By addressing low morale, engineering managers and CTOs can not only improve the performance of software developers but also drive the growth and success of their companies.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the root causes of low morale in tech teams and provide effective solutions for engineering managers to tackle this problem and uplift their team spirit.

Why is team morale important for tech companies?

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, companies with engaged employees are 21% more profitable than those with low employee morale. Additionally, a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that employees who feel valued and engaged are more likely to go above and beyond their job responsibilities, leading to increased productivity and revenue growth.

On the other hand, low team morale among software developers is a critical issue that not only affects individual performance but also has a far-reaching impact on a company's growth and revenue and leads to the following challenges:

Decreased motivation and engagement: Low morale can lead to a lack of motivation and engagement among software developers. This can result in decreased productivity and a lower quality of work.
Increased absenteeism and turnover: When morale is low, employees may be more likely to take more time off or even leave the company. This can result in increased absenteeism and turnover, which can be costly for the company.
Decreased creativity and innovation: A lack of motivation and engagement can also lead to decreased creativity and innovation. This can negatively impact the company's ability to stay competitive and come up with new ideas and solutions.
Poor communication and collaboration: Low morale can lead to poor communication and decreased collaboration among team members. This can result in misunderstandings and decreased efficiency, impacting the overall performance of the team.
Decreased job satisfaction: Low morale can lead to decreased job satisfaction among employees, which can result in decreased engagement and motivation. This can ultimately impact the performance and growth of the company.

Engineering managers and CTOs can drive the growth and success of their companies by improving the performance of software developers by addressing low morale.

So let’s start with understanding what factors lead to low team morale in dev teams and find the best strategies to fix them and build strong employee morale.

Reasons for low team morale in tech teams (+Solutions)

Reason #1: Lack of recognition and appreciation

Unfortunately, many tech teams still struggle with providing sufficient recognition and appreciation to their software developers. This can lead to low morale, decreased motivation, and ultimately decreased productivity.

Solution: To improve recognition and appreciation within your tech team, consider implementing regular one on one meetings and performance-based rewards. This can help to create a more positive and supportive work environment where software developers feel valued and appreciated.

You can easily spot your best performers and recognize their achievements with the help of AI.

Ace AI identifies improving performance based on Git data and recommends agenda for a 1 on 1 meeting with a developer. See how it works in practice:

Automatic agenda for 1-on-1 meeting on improved performance

Reason #2: Poor communication and management

Effective communication is a key component of a high-performing tech team. A study by Harvard Business Review found that poor communication and collaboration are the most significant contributors to project failure. This highlights the importance of addressing these issues within your tech team to ensure success and maintain high morale.

Solution: To improve communication within your tech team, consider implementing a feedback system.

Ace AI writes different types of feedback based on work data from Git, Slack, Jira, and other tools:

Automatic feedback in Ace AI

Reason #3: Lack of growth opportunities

Providing professional development opportunities is crucial for maintaining high morale and motivation among software developers. Employees who feel they have opportunities for growth are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and more engaged in their work.

Solution: To provide growth opportunities for your tech team, consider offering training and development programs for software developers. This can help to ensure that software developers feel supported in their careers and motivated to succeed.

Use Ace AI to set professional development goals for the whole engineering team and help them grow necessary skills and stay up-to-date with the latest technology.

Connect Git and Ace AI will analyze the skill gaps of each developer and create personalized development goals with recommendations on mentors, courses, books, and other learning materials:

Personalized development goals in Ace AI

Reason #4: Unclear or unachievable goals

Software developers need clear and achievable goals to feel motivated and engaged in their work. If goals are not defined or are unrealistic, it can lead to frustration and decreased motivation.

Solution: To ensure clear and achievable goals for your tech team, involve software developers in goal setting and provide regular feedback to ensure that goals are realistic and attainable.

Ace AI identifies declining motivations based on Git data and recommends materials and mentors to improve motivation.

Automatic agenda for 1-on-1 meeting in Ace AI

Reason #5: Burnout and overwork

The fast-paced and demanding nature of the tech industry can lead to long hours and intense pressure to meet deadlines. This can quickly lead to burnout and decreased motivation among software developers.

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

Solution: To prevent burnout and overwork within your tech team, it's crucial to promote a healthy work-life balance. This can be achieved by offering support during regular 1-on-1 meetings with your team.

Ace AI provides managers with insights and notifies them about potential problems based on activity in the integrated tools such as git, Discord, Slack, etc. and writes a feedback to solve the problem.

Ace AI catches signs of burnout and recommends feedback

Conclusion

The morale of a tech team is a crucial factor in determining its success and the success of the company as a hole. Engineering managers need to prioritize the well-being and motivation of their tech teams.

By implementing these strategies, you can improve team morale, increase productivity, and ultimately drive your company's growth. Investing in the well-being and motivation of your tech team is an investment in your company's future success.

Ace AI helps to put this process on autopilot and maintain high morale and developer productivity with zero effort.

Optimized Engineering: The Key to Unlocking the Potential of Your Development Team

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:31:37 +0000

As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, developers are faced with the challenge of staying ahead of the curve. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021, 65.9% of developers say that learning new technologies is essential to their job. This is where optimized engineering comes in. Teams at Level 5 of optimized engineering are constantly seeking out new methodologies and tools to enhance their ability to deliver high-quality work.

What is Optimized Engineering?

Optimized engineering is a level of development where teams are always seeking out new methodologies and tools to enhance their ability to deliver high-quality work. According to a report by McKinsey, companies that prioritize innovation and are digitally mature are three times more likely to achieve above-average revenue growth than their peers. This is why optimized engineering is becoming increasingly important for companies that want to stay competitive.

For example, Google is known for their optimized engineering culture, where they have a team dedicated to continuous innovation and experimentation. This team is responsible for launching products like Google Maps, Google Glass, and self-driving cars.

Role of Engineering Managers

Engineering managers play a critical role in promoting a culture of continuous innovation and learning. According to a survey by Hired, developers who work with supportive managers are more likely to report high job satisfaction, feel fulfilled by their work, and are more likely to recommend their company to others.

For example, at Shopify, engineering managers are responsible for creating a culture of learning and experimentation. They encourage their team members to attend conferences, participate in hackathons, and work on side projects that help them expand their skills and knowledge.

How Optimized Engineering Affects Motivation, Productivity, and Growth of Developers.

Optimized engineering can have a significant impact on the motivation, productivity, and growth of developers. However, this level of optimization comes with its own set of challenges. According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, 41% of employees who do not feel adequately recognized will look for a new job within the next year. This is why it's important for teams at Level 5 to actively seek out feedback from team members and recognize their contributions.

The common problems faced by Level 5 teams include difficulty in managing technical documentation and knowledge sharing, difficulty in managing customer satisfaction, and difficulty in handling team conflicts and disagreements. According to a report by IDC, the average knowledge worker spends 2.5 hours per day searching for information. This is why it's important for teams to implement advanced technical documentation and knowledge sharing processes to save time and increase productivity.

For example, Atlassian's Confluence is a popular tool used by software teams to manage technical documentation and knowledge sharing. According to a survey by Atlassian, 84% of software teams say that using Confluence has improved the quality of their work.

Solutions for Problems at Optimized Engineering Level

To address the common problems faced by Level 5 teams, they can implement advanced technical documentation and knowledge sharing processes. They can also actively seek out feedback from customers and implement processes to address their needs and concerns. Additionally, teams can develop strategies for managing team conflicts and disagreements, promoting a culture of open communication and mutual respect. Finally, teams can prioritize work-life balance, provide opportunities for professional development, and encourage breaks and downtime.

For example, HubSpot's engineering team has a "no meetings Wednesdays" policy, where Wednesdays are designated as a day for individual work and self-improvement. They also provide their team members with unlimited vacation time and encourage them to take breaks and recharge.

Risks of Not Addressing Problems at Optimized Engineering Level

Not addressing the problems faced by Level 5 teams can lead to decreased motivation, productivity, and growth of developers. It can also lead to dissatisfied customers and negative feedback, and the loss of talented team members. According to a survey by Robert Half Technology, 46% of tech professionals would leave their current job for one that provides better work-life balance. Additionally, the constant pace of change can lead to burnout, which can have serious consequences for the health and well-being of team members.

For example, in 2018, Google employees organized a walkout to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment allegations. The walkout was a result of a long-standing culture of discrimination and retaliation that affected the health and well-being of many Google employees. This led to the loss of talented team members and negative publicity for the company.

Conclusion

Optimized engineering is crucial for companies that want to stay competitive in today's rapidly evolving technology landscape. By addressing the common challenges faced by Level 5 teams, companies can ensure that their developers remain motivated, productive, and fulfilled in their work.

Engineering managers play a critical role in promoting a culture of continuous innovation and learning, and providing the necessary resources and support to help team members stay ahead of the curve. This not only benefits the individual developers but also the team as a whole.

In conclusion, optimized engineering is like a game where you always have to level up to stay competitive. By embracing this mindset and overcoming the challenges that come with it, companies can achieve above-average revenue growth and make a real impact on their respective industries.

Read about the other levels:

Managed Engineering: Empowering Teams with Data-Driven Decision Making

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:25:57 +0000

According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Company, high-performing software development teams are twice as productive as low-performing teams. This productivity gap is often due to the use of managed engineering. Managed engineering is when teams use data and metrics to make informed decisions and continuously improve their processes. It's a level 4 in the engineering management hierarchy, where teams have already surpassed levels 1 to 3, and they are now focused on establishing a data-driven culture.

What is Managed Engineering?

Managed engineering involves using data and metrics to make informed decisions and continuously improve software development processes. According to a report by the Project Management Institute, high-performing organizations are 1.5 times more likely to use data-driven decision-making. Managed engineering is a level 4 in the engineering management hierarchy, where teams have already surpassed levels 1 to 3 and are now focused on establishing a data-driven culture. By implementing managed engineering, teams can improve the quality, efficiency, and performance of their software development projects.

Role of Engineering Managers

Engineering managers play a crucial role in the success of managed engineering. They are responsible for creating an environment of accountability and data-driven decision making, which promotes innovation and risk-taking. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, employees who are empowered to make decisions are 4.5 times more likely to feel engaged in their work. Engineering managers also facilitate communication and collaboration between developers, encouraging innovation and promoting personal and professional growth. According to a survey by Atlassian, 83% of developers say that learning new technologies is essential for their job satisfaction.

How Managed Engineering Affects Motivation, Productivity, and Growth of Developers. Common problems

Managed engineering has a significant impact on the motivation, productivity, and growth of developers. According to a survey by Hired, 45% of developers said that challenging work is the most important factor in their job satisfaction. Managed engineering provides developers with challenging work by requiring them to learn new skills and improve their abilities. However, common problems developers face in managed engineering include:

Difficulty in managing project scope: The team struggles to manage scope and meet project deadlines. According to a report by Standish Group, 52.7% of software development projects are challenged due to cost and schedule overruns.

Lack of effective communication: Communication is often unclear and inconsistent, leading to misaligned expectations and wasted time. According to a study by Project Management Institute, ineffective communication is the primary cause of project failure for one-third of all projects.

Difficulty in managing risk: The team struggles to identify and manage risks effectively. According to a report by the Project Management Institute, 40% of organizations report poor risk management as the primary cause of project failure.

Solutions for problems of Managed Engineering

To address the above-mentioned problems, teams can implement the following solutions:

Implement effective project management processes: Establish clear project objectives and deadlines, and use data to monitor progress and make informed decisions. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, companies that use data to make decisions are 1.5 times more likely to report higher profits than their competitors.

Enhance communication channels: Promote effective communication through regular check-ins and meetings, and use tools like chat platforms and project management software to facilitate communication. According to a report by Buffer, remote workers are 20% more likely to say that they communicate more effectively with their team when using chat platforms.

Promote risk management strategies: Identify and assess risks, and develop a risk management plan to mitigate potential issues. According to a study by PwC, 94% of executives believe that risk management is essential to the success of their organization.

Risks of not addressing problems at Managed Engineering Level

Failing to address managed engineering can result in increased technical debt, missed deadlines, and low morale. Developers may feel unsupported and undervalued, leading to high turnover rates and decreased productivity. According to a report by Deloitte, 88% of employees say that a positive work culture is essential for their job satisfaction. High turnover rates can be costly for organizations and can negatively impact the morale of remaining employees. In addition, not addressing managed engineering can result in poor quality software, leading to unhappy customers and a damaged reputation.

According to a report by Capgemini, 70% of customers say that they will not do business with a company that has provided them with a poor experience. This can lead to lost revenue and further damage to the organization's reputation. Failing to address managed engineering can also lead to decreased innovation, as teams may be less likely to experiment and take risks. According to a report by Accenture, 92% of executives believe that the ability to innovate is essential to the success of their organization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, managed engineering is a crucial aspect of the modern development world. By using data and metrics to make informed decisions, teams can improve processes and promote a culture of innovation. Managed engineering promotes personal and professional growth, leading to increased motivation and productivity. Engineering managers play a crucial role in the success of managed engineering, creating an environment of accountability and data-driven decision making, while promoting a culture of innovation and risk-taking.

By implementing effective project management processes, enhancing communication channels, and promoting risk management strategies, teams can mitigate risks and create a successful data-driven culture. Failing to address managed engineering can result in increased technical debt, missed deadlines, and low morale. This can lead to decreased innovation, lost revenue, and a damaged reputation. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize managed engineering to support and motivate developers, which is essential for the growth and success of any organization.

Read about the other levels:

Defined Engineering: Navigating Common Problems at Level 3

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:17:54 +0000

As a developer, you know that your success depends on your ability to work well in a team. However, working in a team can be challenging when the team's processes are undefined, inconsistent, or not well-communicated. This is where the concept of Defined Engineering comes in.

According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, organizations with well-defined processes in place are more likely to have successful technology transformations. The study found that companies that had established best practices for software development, testing, deployment, and maintenance had higher success rates in digital transformations.

What is Defined Engineering?

Defined Engineering is a level of development maturity where teams have well-defined processes in place and can consistently produce high-quality work. The focus at this level is on establishing consistent practices for software development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

According to a survey by the DevOps Institute, only 28% of respondents reported that their organizations had a well-defined and agreed-upon set of processes and practices for software delivery.

At Level 3: Defined Engineering, teams have a good understanding of their processes, roles, and responsibilities, and they can effectively manage their resources. However, there are still common problems that can arise, including:

Limited collaboration and feedback: Team members work in silos and do not provide feedback to one another.
Lack of continuous improvement initiatives: The team does not actively seek out ways to improve their processes.
Difficulty in managing technical debt: The team struggles to balance the need to address technical debt with the need to produce new work.

Role of Engineering Managers

Engineering managers play a crucial role in ensuring that the team operates at Level 3. They must set expectations for high-quality work, provide guidance on process improvements, and promote a culture of continuous learning.

According to a survey by Hired, 61% of developers reported that a good manager is the most important factor in job satisfaction. An engineering manager who prioritizes feedback and professional development can help create a positive and engaging work environment.

To address the common problems that can arise at this level, engineering managers must promote collaboration and feedback among team members. They can encourage cross-functional teams, hold regular stand-up meetings, and foster a culture of open communication.

According to a survey by Atlassian, teams that collaborate effectively are 1.9 times more likely to exceed their goals. Collaboration and feedback are essential for creating a positive work environment and achieving successful outcomes.

Engineering managers must also establish continuous improvement initiatives by creating a culture of experimentation and actively seeking out ways to improve processes. This can be achieved by setting up regular retrospectives, encouraging innovation days, and providing opportunities for professional development.

To manage technical debt more effectively, engineering managers must prioritize addressing technical debt in a structured way. This can be achieved by setting up a technical debt backlog, prioritizing technical debt items, and incorporating technical debt work into the team's regular sprint planning.

How Defined Engineering Affects Motivation, Productivity, and Growth of Developers

The lack of collaboration and feedback, the absence of continuous improvement initiatives, and the struggle to manage technical debt can all impact the motivation, productivity, and growth of developers.

According to a survey by Gallup, 85% of employees are not engaged or are actively disengaged at work. When team members work in silos, they may feel isolated and undervalued. They may also miss opportunities for learning and growth. This can lead to disengagement and a decline in productivity.

According to a survey by the DevOps Institute, companies that prioritize continuous learning and development are 1.5 times more likely to have high-performing teams. When the team does not actively seek out ways to improve processes, they may miss out on opportunities for innovation and efficiency gains. This can lead to a stagnation in the team's growth and can impact motivation and productivity.

When the team struggles to manage technical debt, they may find it challenging to balance the need to address technical debt with the need to produce new work. This can lead to a build-up of technical debt, which can impact the quality of the team's work and slow down the team's progress.

Solutions for Problems of Defined Engineering

To promote collaboration and feedback, teams can encourage team members to work together and provide feedback to one another. This can be achieved by creating cross-functional teams, holding regular stand-up meetings, and fostering a culture of open communication.

According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, companies that prioritize collaboration and communication are 1.5 times more likely to outperform their peers. Collaboration and feedback are essential for creating a positive work environment and achieving successful outcomes.

To establish continuous improvement initiatives, teams can create a culture of experimentation and actively seek out ways to improve processes. This can be achieved by setting up regular retrospectives, encouraging innovation days, and providing opportunities for professional development.

According to a survey by the DevOps Institute, teams that prioritize continuous improvement are 1.8 times more likely to have high-performing teams. By establishing a culture of continuous improvement, teams can achieve better outcomes and drive growth.

To manage technical debt more effectively, teams can prioritize addressing technical debt in a structured way. This can be achieved by setting up a technical debt backlog, prioritizing technical debt items, and incorporating technical debt work into the team's regular sprint planning.

According to a survey by the Consortium for IT Software Quality, companies that prioritize technical debt management are 2.6 times more likely to be high-performing. By addressing technical debt in a structured way, teams can improve the quality of their work and speed up their progress.

Risks of not addressing problems at Defined Engineering Level

The risks of not addressing Defined Engineering include developers becoming disengaged due to lack of feedback and recognition. When developers work in silos and do not receive feedback, they may feel undervalued and isolated, which can lead to disengagement and a decline in productivity. This can have a significant impact on the team's success and can lead to increased turnover and difficulty in hiring and retaining top talent.

According to a survey by LinkedIn, the cost of losing a software developer can be as high as 213% of their salary. By failing to address the common problems that arise at Level 3, teams may find it challenging to retain their top talent, which can have significant financial implications.

Furthermore, the lack of continuous improvement initiatives can lead to a stagnation in the team's growth and can impact motivation and productivity. The team may miss out on opportunities for innovation and efficiency gains, which can impact the quality of the team's work and the team's ability to keep up with the pace of change in the industry.

According to a survey by the DevOps Institute, teams that do not prioritize continuous improvement are 2.2 times more likely to have low-performing teams. By failing to establish a culture of continuous improvement, teams may find it challenging to keep up with the pace of change and may struggle to achieve successful outcomes.

Finally, the struggle to manage technical debt can impact the quality of the team's work and slow down the team's progress. Technical debt can make it more challenging to implement new features, fix bugs, and maintain existing code, which can lead to longer release cycles and a decline in customer satisfaction.
According to a survey by the Consortium for IT Software Quality, companies that do not prioritize technical debt management are 2.7 times more likely to be low-performing. By failing to manage technical debt effectively, teams may find it challenging to maintain the quality of their work and may struggle to keep up with the demands of the business.

Conclusion

Defined Engineering is a critical level in a team's development journey, and it can significantly impact the motivation, productivity, and growth of developers. To succeed at this level, teams must promote collaboration and feedback, establish continuous improvement initiatives, and manage technical debt effectively. Engineering managers play a crucial role in setting expectations for high-quality work, providing guidance on process improvements, and promoting a culture of continuous learning.

According to a survey by Puppet, high-performing teams are twice as likely to have a manager who is perceived as supportive and who enables autonomy. By prioritizing feedback and professional development, engineering managers can help create a positive and engaging work environment that drives team success.

By addressing the common problems that arise at this level and prioritizing the growth and development of team members, teams can set themselves up for success at higher levels and achieve long-term success. According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, organizations that successfully achieve digital transformation are 1.8 times more likely to be top performers in their industries.

In summary, Defined Engineering is a critical level in a team's development journey, and it is essential to ensure that teams have well-defined processes in place to produce high-quality work consistently. By addressing the common problems that arise at this level and prioritizing the growth and development of team members, teams can set themselves up for success at higher levels and achieve long-term success. The role of engineering managers is crucial in promoting collaboration and feedback, establishing continuous improvement initiatives, and managing technical debt effectively to create a positive work environment that drives team success.

Read about the other levels:

Repeatable Engineering: Promoting Consistency and Quality in Dev Team

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:09:29 +0000

In the previous blog post, we talked about Ad Hoc Engineering, the lowest level of engineering team maturity. In this blog post, we'll discuss the next level, Repeatable Engineering. Teams at this level have basic processes in place and can consistently repeat their successes. However, there are still some common problems that teams at this level encounter, and risks that come with them.

What is Repeatable Engineering?

A repeatable engineering process is a set of procedures and best practices that a software development team uses to ensure consistency and quality in their work. It involves implementing processes that can be repeated across different projects to ensure that the team can consistently deliver high-quality work.

For example, a repeatable engineering process might involve creating a standardized development environment, such as using virtual machines, which can be easily replicated across different projects. This ensures consistency in the development environment, reducing the likelihood of bugs and other issues.

Role of Engineering Managers

Engineering managers play a critical role in creating a framework for success, setting clear goals, providing guidance, and being available to answer questions or provide support when needed. They can also help solve problems typical of this stage, such as limited documentation and version control, a lack of defined roles and responsibilities, and limited problem-solving capabilities.

For example, an engineering manager may establish a code review process to ensure that code is adequately documented and adheres to the team's standards. They may also establish a clear framework for documenting work, tracking changes over time, and ensuring that everyone on the team understands their individual responsibilities.

Common Problems at Repeatable Engineering Level

Limited Documentation and Version Control

Without proper documentation and version control, it's challenging to keep track of changes and ensure that work is adequately tracked and managed. According to a survey by GitLab, 47% of developers believe that documentation is crucial for effective collaboration, yet only 27% of teams have a defined process for creating it. This can lead to delays in the project, misunderstandings, and confusion among team members.

For example, a lack of documentation and version control may lead to mistakes in the product. If you have an update to the project specification from a manager and post it on a Slack channel, expecting it to be done, mistakes may arise if it's not adequately documented, leading to confusion and delays in the project.

Lack of Defined Roles and Responsibilities

When team members are unclear about their individual responsibilities and what is expected of them, it can lead to confusion, misunderstandings, and ultimately delays in the project. According to a study by the Software Engineering Institute, 30% of development project failures are due to poorly defined roles and responsibilities.

For example, a lack of defined roles and responsibilities may lead to misunderstandings in the team, causing developers to work on the same task, or leaving important tasks unaddressed.

Limited Problem-Solving Capabilities

When a team is not proactive in addressing problems and instead relies on past successes, it can lead to stagnation and missed opportunities. According to a survey by Deloitte, 94% of executives believe that a culture of innovation is essential to their success, yet only 14% believe they have a clear and concise strategy for fostering innovation.

For example, limited problem-solving capabilities may lead to developers relying on past solutions to problems, rather than taking a creative approach to finding a solution. This may result in missing opportunities to solve the problem in a better way.

Risks of not addressing problems at Repeatable Engineering Level

Developers may become complacent due to the repetition of their work and lack of variety. This can lead to a decline in productivity and creativity, which can ultimately impact the success of the project. To avoid this, it's essential to keep the team engaged and motivated by introducing new challenges and opportunities for growth.

For example, providing opportunities for developers to learn new technologies, or to work on different projects can help them stay motivated and engaged, allowing them to take on new challenges and grow their skills.

Solutions for a Repeatable Engineering Process

To mitigate the common problems and risks, it's essential to establish clear documentation and version control processes, clarify roles and responsibilities, and promote continuous improvement through training and problem-solving exercises.

For example, to establish clear documentation and version control processes, a team may use a version control system, such as GitLab, to keep track of changes and ensure that documentation is always up-to-date. To clarify roles and responsibilities, the team may create a document outlining each member's role and the tasks they are responsible for. To promote continuous improvement, the team may hold regular retrospectives to identify areas for improvement and implement changes.

Conclusion

A repeatable engineering process is critical for the success of software development teams. By implementing the solutions we have discussed and being aware of the potential problems and risks, you can help your team operate at the highest level. Remember that engineering managers play a crucial role in establishing a repeatable engineering process, solving problems typical of this stage, and mitigating risks for developers. By doing so, the productivity, motivation, and growth of developers can be enhanced, leading to higher quality work and overall success for the team.

Read about the other levels:

Ad Hoc Engineering: Problems, Risks, and Solutions

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:59:13 +0000

Have you ever worked in a team that lacks structure and relies on individual heroics to get work done? If so, you might be experiencing Ad Hoc Engineering, the lowest level of engineering team maturity. In this blog post, we'll explore the problems associated with Ad Hoc Engineering, the risks of not addressing them, and the solutions and tools that can be used to improve your team's performance.

What is Ad Hoc Engineering Maturity Level?

Ad Hoc Engineering is the lowest level of engineering team maturity. It is characterized by teams that are reactive and rely on individual heroics to get work done. They have no real process in place and often rely on the experience of individual team members to complete tasks. This can lead to chaos and disorder in a team, resulting in individual team members feeling overwhelmed or unsure of what to do next.

Role of Engineering Managers

Ad Hoc Engineering can lead to several risks that can impact the team's productivity and performance. Without a clear framework and structure for work, individual team members may feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to do next. The reactive nature of their work and lack of structure can also lead to burnout, disengagement, and a lack of career growth opportunities for developers.

This is why engineering managers play a critical role in creating an environment that fosters growth and progress. They should provide a clear vision for the team, establish basic processes and communication channels, and encourage more collaboration through team-building exercises. Managers should also be available to answer questions and provide feedback when needed, to help team members feel more confident in their work.

According to the survey conducted by CodinGame, developers are most motivated when they feel like they're making progress, and they're working on challenging projects that help them grow their skills. This is why engineering managers play a critical role in creating an environment that fosters growth and progress. They should provide a clear vision for the team, establish basic processes and communication channels, and encourage more collaboration through team-building exercises. Managers should also be available to answer questions and provide feedback when needed, to help team members feel more confident in their work.

How Ad Hoc Engineering Management Affects Motivation, Productivity, and Growth of Developers

Ad Hoc Engineering can hinder developers' opportunities for growth and progress, resulting in demotivated and unproductive team members. Without clear guidance and support from their engineering managers, individual team members may feel overwhelmed, unsure of what to do next, and ultimately disengaged from their work. This can lead to a decrease in productivity and a lack of career growth opportunities for developers.

For example, when developers don't have access to clear goals and objectives, they may be uncertain about what they need to accomplish. This lack of clarity can cause them to become demotivated, and they may struggle to stay on task. Additionally, when team members are working in isolation, communication may be ad hoc and inconsistent. This can cause misunderstandings, errors, and delays that can impact the quality of the work and the team's productivity.

Solutions and Tools to Address Ad Hoc Engineering

To address the problems associated with Ad Hoc Engineering, establishing basic processes, implementing communication channels, and promoting collaboration among team members are essential. A Git system like Gitlab can also help to improve communication and collaboration, enabling developers to track changes and versions of code. The tool also facilitates the review and feedback process, improving the quality of work and the speed at which it is done. By creating a structure and framework for work, team members can work more effectively and achieve their goals.

For example, establishing basic processes like a checklist for code review or a documentation template can provide a clear framework for work to be performed, helping team members feel more confident in their roles and responsibilities. Implementing communication channels like a designated Slack channel or a regular team meeting can help to establish clear lines of communication between team members, ensuring that everyone is on the same page. Promoting collaboration through team-building exercises or pairing can encourage team members to work together and build relationships, improving communication and building a stronger sense of community within the team.

Risks of not addressing problems at Ad Hoc Engineering Level

The risks associated with Ad Hoc Engineering can lead to several negative consequences for the team's productivity and performance. As we mentioned earlier, the reactive nature of work and the lack of structure can cause burnout, disengagement, and a lack of career growth opportunities for developers. In addition to these risks, there are other negative consequences associated with Ad Hoc Engineering that can impact the team's overall productivity.

For example, a lack of documentation and communication can lead to miscommunications, misunderstandings, and mistakes. This can result in errors, rework, and delays, ultimately leading to poor quality work. Moreover, without a clear framework and structure for work, individual team members may feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to do next. This can cause chaos and disorder in a team, resulting in individual team members feeling overwhelmed or unsure of what to do next.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ad Hoc Engineering is detrimental to team success, but it can be mitigated by implementing basic processes, communication channels, and fostering collaboration among team members. By creating a structure and framework for work and providing guidance and support to team members, engineering managers can help developers feel more confident in their work and motivated to grow their skills. With these measures, teams can move towards higher levels of engineering team maturity, improving their performance and delivering better outcomes for the business. The role of engineering managers is critical in mitigating the risks associated with Ad Hoc Engineering, and they should establish a clear vision, provide guidance and support, be available to answer questions, and monitor progress closely.

Implementing basic processes, communication channels, and fostering collaboration can provide a clear framework for work to be performed, helping team members feel more confident in their roles and responsibilities. Using a Git system like Gitlab can help to improve communication and collaboration, enabling developers to track changes and versions of code. These measures can help create structure and foster teamwork within the team, allowing them to work more effectively and achieve their goals.

As software development is a team sport, it's important for managers to establish a clear vision for the team and encourage them to work towards it. According to the survey conducted by Stack Overflow, over 54% of developers cited "bad management" as the most frustrating part of their job. This is a clear indication of the importance of good engineering management in a team's success. With the guidance of engineering managers, teams can move towards higher levels of engineering team maturity, improving their performance and delivering better outcomes for the business.

Read about the other levels:

Improve Developer Productivity: A Guide to Mentorship and Skill Development

Alex Olkhovoi — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:42:37 +0000

Did you know that the lack of clear software developer goals and inadequate development of skills can lead to decreased overall developer productivity in a software engineering team?

To solve this problem, experienced engineering managers start a mentorship program and practice mentoring software engineers.

In this blog post, we'll discuss how effective mentorship can significantly increase productivity in tech teams and provide mentor tips for engineering leaders to become a software engineer mentor with the help of Ace AI.

Read: Full guide on how to start a mentorship program at work

Why is mentorship important in engineering?

Effective mentorship can help significantly increase developer productivity and positively influence employee retention in an engineering team. According to a survey conducted by Gartner, employees who receive mentoring are promoted five times more often than those who don't receive mentoring.

List of benefits of effective mentorship for a software engineering team:

#1. Effective mentorship helps an engineering manager provide guidance in professional skill development.
Mentors help developers with technical skill development, identify and address skill gaps, increase engagement, and create a culture of continuous learning within the tech team.

#2. Mentorship can also have a positive impact on employee retention.
According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, employees who are mentored are 77% more likely to stay with their organization than those who are not mentored. By investing in mentorship, organizations can improve employee satisfaction and retention rates, leading to long-term benefits for the company.

#3. Mentorship can help to improve diversity and inclusion in tech teams. According to a study conducted by BetterUp, employees who receive mentorship from someone outside of their own demographic group are more likely to feel included and supported within their organization. This can lead to increased engagement and better collaboration within the team.

Mentorship is a powerful tool for improving productivity of tech teams. But now we’ll address the question: How do you create an effective mentoring program?

In the next part of this blog post, you’ll get mentor tips to help an engineer manager become a great mentor for their engineering team.

Successful mentorship tips

How can I make my mentorship effective?

Here is a list of tips on how to make mentoring effective. These strategies and tools will help you start a mentorship program and significantly increase developer productivity.

Tip #1. Adding relevant skills to a development plan

Effective mentorship involves identifying the relevant skills that developers need to acquire or improve upon, and adding them to the development plan. This will help to optimize the professional skill development of engineers and stay focused.

For example, a front-end developer may need to learn new frameworks or tools to keep up with the latest trends in web development. A full-stack developer may benefit from learning a new programming language to expand their skill set.

How can a manager understand what skills should developers upgrade?

Good question!

How to identify focus skills:

Industry trends: Stay up-to-date with industry trends and identify the skills that are in high demand. This will help you to ensure that your developers are equipped with the skills they need to stay competitive.
Skill gaps: Identify the skill gaps within the team and develop training plans to address them. This will help to ensure that your team has a well-rounded set of skills and that everyone is capable of contributing to the team's success.
Developer career goals: Identify the career goals of each developer and tailor their development plans accordingly. This will help to keep developers motivated and engaged, as they are working towards skills that are relevant to their career aspirations.
Company’s business goals: Identify the skills required to achieve the company's business goals. This will help to ensure that the team is working towards goals that are aligned with the company's overall strategy.

Is there an easy way to choose relevant skills for development? Sure!

You can easily automate the process of identifying focus skills and creating development plans for your engineering team with the help of AI.

Ace AI uses Git data to identify career path level of a software engineer and finds skills gaps. Then Ace AI creates a personalized development goal to fill these skill gaps.

See how it works in practice:

Connect Git and get a personalized development goal in Ace AI

Tip #2. Personalizing recommendations for skill development

Once the focus skills have been identified, it's important to personalize recommendations for professional skill development for each developer. People have different learning styles and preferences, so what works for one person may not work for another. For example, some developers may prefer hands-on learning experiences while others may prefer self-paced online courses or reading books.

By personalizing recommendations for each developer, managers can create a more engaging and effective learning experience that helps developers develop their skills and achieve their goals.

Ace AI identifies skill gaps of developers based on Git data and provides personalized recommendations on mentors, courses, videos, books, and other materials, to help developers reach their full potential.

Personalized recommendations in Ace AI

Tip #3. Holding regular one-on-one mentorship sessions

Regular one-on-one mentorship sessions are essential to the success of a mentorship program. These sessions provide an opportunity for managers to connect with their developers, assess progress on development plans, and provide feedback on performance.

Here are the two principles of effective one-on-one sessions:

Principle 1. Schedule them regularly.
Depending on the goals of a developer and their needs, you can schedule regular one-on-one mentorships sessions:

weekly
biweekly
or monthly

Schedule these meetings in a way that works for both the mentor and the mentee.

Principle 2. Structure them.
In order to stay focused and provide direction to a developer during the mentorship session, an agenda is a must.

Some examples of mentor topics for discussion: progress on development plans, feedback on performance, career development goals, challenges faced by the team member, and strategies to overcome those challenges.

To save your time, Ace AI creates mentorship agenda for you 1-on-1s and offers to discuss a developer’s achievements based on Git data.

Mentorship agenda for 1 on 1 meeting in Ace AI

Tip #4. Providing regular feedback

Regular feedback is crucial to the success of a mentorship program. Feedback can help developers identify areas for improvement, make course corrections, and stay motivated to achieve their goals.

Effective feedback should be:

A. Specific (be detailed and highlight specific examples and behaviors).

B. Timely (use every session to provide your feedback).

C. Actionable (update development plans and add new tasks to a development plan).

Managers can use feedback templates to help them provide constructive feedback that is both supportive and challenging.

Or use AI-generated feedback for specific skills by Ace AI based on the work of developers in Git, Jira, and other tools, and save your time.

Automatic feedback for skills in Ace AI

Key takeaways

Lack of clear goals and inadequate tracking and development of skills can lead to decreased overall performance and productivity of the tech team.
Effective mentorship can help address this issue by guiding developers towards success and helping them develop their skills. Personalizing mentorship recommendations for each developer based on their learning style and preferences can help ensure the effectiveness of the mentoring process.
Identifying relevant skills for each developer based on industry trends, skill gaps, future career goals, and company's business goals can help managers add relevant skills to the development plan for each developer.
Holding regular one-on-one mentorship sessions and providing regular feedback are essential components of successful mentorship and skills development.
Feedback should be specific, timely, and actionable to be effective.
Using tools like Ace helps engineering managers to automate and personalize the process of skills development and drive the overall team’s performance as a result.

Why Your Dev Team's Morale Matters: The Surprising Impact on Developer Productivity

Alex Olkhovoi — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 17:07:12 +0000

This blog post was originally published on Ace blog

In this blog post, we'll explore

the impact of morale on tech teams
the costs of low morale on company growth
the importance of leadership in addressing the issue

The impact of morale on dev team performance and motivation

As a tech leader, you may have heard the saying, “Happy employees are productive employees”. But have you ever stopped to consider just how true this statement is for your tech team?

Let’s start with defining the terms and find out what team morale is.

Team morale definition

Team morale refers to the overall psychological and emotional well-being and attitudes of a team towards their work, their colleagues, and the organization they work for.

Let’s consider how team morale correlates with developer productivity in detail.

How low morale affects individual productivity

According to a study by Deloitte, 85% of employees who are disengaged from their work say they don't feel motivated to do their best work.

How low morale affects the productivity of the entire dev team

Low morale in one team member can spread to others, leading to a toxic work environment and decreased collaboration.

A team with low morale may struggle to communicate effectively, leading to a lack of trust between team members and a breakdown in the collaboration process. This can lead to:

Decreased creativity and innovation
Lack of focus and attention to detail
Longer time to complete tasks
Decreased ability to work together effectively
Lack of trust and communication between team members
Reduced motivation to participate in team projects and initiatives
A decrease in overall team performance

So, the problem of low morale is not just a minor inconvenience, it's affecting the bottom line. Low morale affects not only dev productivity but also overall company growth as a result.

The costs of low morale on company growth

Here are the numbers that leadership should definitely pay attention to:

A recent study by the Association for Computing Machinery found that dev teams with low morale and low levels of motivation were less likely to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Furthermore, the study found that these teams were less likely to adopt new technologies and were more likely to experience high levels of staff turnover.
The impact of slow and error-prone deployments due to decreased dev team productivity can result in a loss of $9,000 per minute.

That’s why it’s important to address the low morale issue, not only for the benefit of the dev team members but for the success of the company as a whole.

How engineering managers can boost developers morale?

There are several strategies to boost employee morale, including:

Improving communication and recognition: By regularly communicating with dev team members during regular team meetings and acknowledging their contributions with feedback, management can help to build a positive workplace culture and increase morale.
Creating a positive workplace culture: This can be achieved by promoting a supportive and inclusive environment, offering opportunities for professional development, and encouraging team-building activities.
Providing support and resources: Offering support during regular 1-on-1s and providing resources to dev team members, such as flexible work schedules and access to mental health resources, can help to reduce stress and increase morale.

Conclusion

Dev team morale is critical to the success of your business. It can lead to decreased motivation, increased turnover, and decreased efficiency, all of which can impact your company's growth.

Remember, happy and motivated employees lead to a more productive and successful tech team. Invest in your dev team's morale, and you'll see the benefits in the growth of your business.

This blog post was originally published on Ace blog

“The Crisis Is the Best Time to Invest in Development”: Experts’ Opinion on 2022 Tech Layoffs, Hiring Freeze & Job Cuts

Alex Olkhovoi — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:05:19 +0000

One of the most discussed topics right now is mass layoffs in Twitter with over 50% of staff cut in one day. Other big tech companies also follow this trend. Apple and Amazon “paused almost all hiring” and announced a hiring freeze for 2023. Lyft and Stripe said they are laying off hundreds of employees.

More detailed info about the job cuts on layoffs tracker: https://layoffs.fyi/

Other tech companies started to hunt for top developers who just lost their jobs. But is it really the right strategy right now?

We asked experienced tech leaders about how it will influence smaller tech companies and startups and what should developers do in this situation.

You can watch full VIDEO of this interview or read it in this blog post.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

What is the real reason behind 2022 tech layoffs?
Should tech startups hire tech talent right now?
How to attract top tech talent besides offering a huge salary?
What should be included in a job offer?
How to avoid overpaying for tech talent?
What should we expect in the tech job market in 2023?

Q: What is the real reason behind the mass layoffs? Is it the upcoming economic crisis that made the companies announce these layoffs or is it just a good moment to perform the planned cuts to reduce increased staff?

Patrick Zhang, Head of Fulfillment Engineering at Trellis:

I think it's very unique to different companies. For Meta, who laid off 11,000 people, it’s the ad spending that potentially is going down. But what's probably more questionable is their strategic goal of going to the metaverse and how do you manage the transition from an advertisement company to a product company. A similar issue is happening in Twitter. They want to go from advertisement revenue to subscription-based. You can't make those changes overnight.

Geoff Miller, Engineering Manager at Wattpad:

I'll focus on Twitter for a second. I don't think that's really indicative of the market in general. I think it’s just that they got a new owner who wanted to make a splash. And did! And in my opinion, it's not going well. In the general market, though, I don't think it's like a malicious thing that companies are like: “Oh, we can use this as an excuse now! We can get rid of people!” At least, I hope that's not the case. But I do think it's kind of a combination of factors. Companies did a lot of hiring, expecting the market to stay good and their revenue numbers will keep going up and lots of investor money will keep coming in. That started to dry up due to economic conditions and so it led to tough decisions to say: “Hey, we're not in the financial position that we were six months or a year ago. We do need to make cuts, unfortunately.”

Fabio Martins, Engineering Director at Infraspeak:

I have some visibility of what's happening in the market. First, the stock value in the tech companies dropped dramatically. So there was a lot of capital going out from the market and that actually affects the evaluation of the companies a lot. Even if you have investments, you will probably want to hold on and try to survive. If you want to have a bigger MRR, this is how you can pass safely through this time of crisis and uncertainty. The biggest chunk of their money goes to people, so the only way to extend the runway is to do some layoffs. This is the most common scenario most startups fall into.

For big companies like Meta and similar, I think it's more related to two things. The uncertainty we have right now, as we are as close as we have ever been to World War III and that scares a lot of people. And because of the stock markets, which lost a lot of value. I've seen companies losing 80% of their stock market value and that's a lot! And the only way is to drop some costs.

Anthony Bibbs, Engineering Manager at Code for America:

During the pandemic, a lot of companies saw skyrocketing revenues. And a lot of their projections were based on that revenue growth. Unfortunately, we're seeing that revenue growth wasn't sustainable and they have to descale to meet that lack of revenue. I think also another thing is because it's becoming like a norm or maybe “socially acceptable” (if you can have layoffs be socially acceptable) for companies to take this as an opportunity to scale down. Five, six years ago, they wouldn't do that and would have tried a number of other things before.

Q: How will this situation influence smaller tech companies and startups? What is the best hiring strategy right now: freeze hiring or start hunting for the top talents who just lost their job?

Fabio Martins, Engineering Director at Infraspeak:

I think it really depends on how much money you have. If you have a lot of money in your bank, I think it's a great time to hire and grab the best talent you can find. If you are in a situation where you don't have that much money, I would recommend freezing hiring and waiting, or giving some bread to your company, in order to survive these times of uncertainty. Otherwise, you are at risk of shutting down.

Alex Olkhovoi, CTO & Co-founder at Ace:

Oh, I think that you need to understand that the companies are not laying off the best developers and best engineers. It's not like emotional buying. If you are a startup and have a hiring strategy, you need to follow this strategy.

Carlos Morais, Engineering Manager at Grupo Primavera:

This is a general rule that no one should hire in a crisis. But anyway, I think for small and medium companies, the decision process of hiring or not hiring should not be driven by what we talked about before. Yes, we have a crisis and recession, but the show must go on and there are opportunities. We are still in a situation where the demand keeps being largely higher than the supply.

Q: How smaller tech companies and startups can attract tech talent besides offering big salaries?

Vincent Vallee, Site Reliability Engineering Manager at Wattpad:

I think having a great culture, good perks, a cool tech stack, and also working fully remotely. I heard in Twitter, they're forcing people back into the office and that's probably going to cause a lot of attrition. Lots of people like working hybrid but I think it's still a minority. The majority of people prefer full-time work from home.

Mike Goodman, Head of Engineering at Sagetap:

I'm having a lot of work with attracting tech talent and here are a few things. The first one is having a really exciting product. For example, at Sagetap, the product is really promising. And people that I interviewed said they wanted to get on the ground floor of something that could really become huge and provide real value to the industry. The second one is culture: creating a culture that people want to work in. Then, remote work is a big thing, I think that resonates a lot with people. Obviously, professional development and making sure you give a space for people to grow and work on the things they want to work on. An engineer can go anywhere, so you always have to think of more than just salary.

Patrick Zhang, Head of Fulfillment Engineering at Trellis:

I think it's never about money itself. Especially, the startup world just can't compete with the salary that the big companies are paying. But there is a good opportunity for those who want to take more responsibility, build something from scratch, or take leadership positions that otherwise would take them much longer or they don't have the opportunity to do in a larger organization.

Geoff Miller, Engineering Manager at Wattpad:

For smaller startups, there is a vast difference in what companies can pay; the range is from 70k to 200k. And even if the culture isn't quite as good, you know, a 130k difference makes up for a lot of culture gaps. People aren't spending 25 years at companies anymore. You're spending two and then you're going to the next job. So most of them are saying: “I'm going to be here, culture is meh, but I'm making 130k more. Yeah, I'll do that for a couple of years, and then I'll check out the next opportunity.”

Anthony Bibbs, Engineering Manager at Code for America:

I think it's really important to gain feedback from people that you're interviewing. It's important to scale your benefits package by the employee. For instance, some employees may want annual learning budgets, stipends for a gym, and so on and so forth. I know one thing that's really important for a lot of engineers, and for a lot of employees in general, is flexibility. I think it's important to be able to, like, meet employees where they are.

Zach Stein, Engineering Manager at Holt's Cigar Company:

Money has some importance but it's not everything, I think we all agree on that. But one thing that's kind of important is how you actually do the work of engineering. I've talked to a lot of candidates, and in addition to the culture and reasonable compensation, developers want tedious tasks of their day-to-day job to be automated away, they want management to emphasize continuous improvement in processes, whether that be how you ship your code, how you interact with each other. People are asking the classic 12 questions from Joel Spolsky, the founder of Stack Overflow: Do you use source control? How do you build your software? How quickly can you ship?

Alex Olkhovoi, CTO & Co-founder at Ace:

The best option for a developer is to understand that, after two years in that company, you will have the next level of your market price. Startups need to offer employees a transparent career track.

Q: So, a job offer should clearly state the growth opportunities inside the company?

Alex Olkhovoi, CTO & Co-founder at Ace:

Yes, for example, when you hire a senior developer and offer him a growth opportunity to a team leader, he understands that he will get a new role in two years at that company. And a team leader is more expensive on the market, so for him, this is the best choice.

Agil Hydyrov, Software Development Manager at 1C:

Salary is not the biggest motivation factor. Like they say: a good salary motivates but the best salary demotivates. So I think that those companies who treat their staff right, pay more attention to what every person values, to their key responsibilities, key goals, and ambitions, attract the best talents.

Q: And what about the opportunities for their career growth? Is it a good strategy for companies to invest in professional development and building career paths and career progressions for their employees?

Agil Hydyrov, Software Development Manager at 1C:

For sure, for sure! The crisis is the best time to invest in your education and professional development. As you have your staff as the greatest capital, you have to educate and invest everything you have to make this capital grow faster and bigger.

Q: How a company can avoid overpaying for tech talent?

Agil Hydyrov, Software Development Manager at 1C:

As a software engineer who has been involved in developing HR applications for a long, long time, I could say that assessment tools are an amazingly important thing that you should use when you're hiring new people. So, when you hire staff from the market, it's like you're buying a cat in a big black bag. You never know what's inside. You can have his resume and see that he’s had big experience in Twitter or in some other big companies, but we don't know what was the reason he was laid off from that company. So, you should use assessment tools and evaluate skills. This makes you able to compare different skills and reveal the skill gap, and then it will be clear to you which skills you should develop.

Q: How will tech layoffs influence the tech job market in 2023? What should we expect?

Fabio Martins, Engineering Director at Infraspeak:

It's a hard question. To be honest, I have a feeling that we may be living in a bubble similar to 2000. So there is a big risk that everything goes down (and there are a lot of signs that indicate that may happen), in that case, the job markets will be completely destroyed. Anyway, I think salaries will keep going up. It's kind of inevitable because, even with the mass layoffs, let's not forget that there was a huge demand and huge deficits in tech workers. Now there will be a lot of people in the market filling those gaps. So the market will still be competitive, unless everything crashes.

Geoff Miller, Engineering Manager at Wattpad:

We've seen one of the most employee-focused markets that has ever existed in the last few years. I do see in 2023 more of a balance between employee and employer when it comes to hiring. But I do agree with Fabio that tech salaries have been going up quite significantly in the last few years. I do think they'll keep going up but it's going to kind of level off a bit more, as again people continue to fight for talent but realize that you don't have to give a 20% raise to someone to get them in the door.

Anthony Bibbs, Engineering Manager at Code for America:

Previously, "growth at all costs" was kind of like the motive for a lot of companies. But I think that you're going to start to see a lot more companies right-sizing and being more cautious about their headcount in the future. So growth at all costs is probably not going to be a thing for a while.

Alex Olkhovoi, CTO & Co-founder at Ace:

In-house growth of developers will be a trend because most companies from Silicon Valley are overhired now, from 20 to 80%. And I think that the next step is a more attentive hiring strategy and transparent growth strategy for in-house developers.

HOW TO MENTOR DEVELOPERS WITH AI?

According to a recent report on software development trends from Exploding Topics, the tech talent shortage continues to be a major issue for engineering managers, even in the face of layoffs. In fact, 86% of companies struggle to find and hire skilled tech professionals.

To attract and retain top talent, companies are investing in the professional development and training of their engineers. However, traditional methods of training can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. This is where AI-powered training platforms can make a big difference. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and personalized training modules, these platforms can automate the training process and provide engineers with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This can help companies stay competitive in the market and retain their top talent.

How Ace AI helps engineering managers mentor developers?

#1. BUILD CAREER PROGRESSIONS

Ace AI uses git data to define the career path level of software engineers.

Connect Git and Ace AI identifies career level

#2. CREATE DEVELOPMENT GOALS WITH PERSONALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on Git data, Ace AI automatically identifies skill gaps and creates development goals for each developer with personalized recommendations on mentors, courses, books, and other learning activities.

Personalized recommendations in Ace AI

#3. WRITE FEEDBACK AND HOLD REGULAR 1-ON-1S

Track the progress of professional skill development of the engineering team with automatic feedback and an agenda for your meetings in Ace AI.

Write automatic feedback for skills in Ace AI

Automatic agenda in Ace AI

VIDEO 2022 Tech Layoffs: Experts on hiring freeze & job cuts

Alex Olkhovoi — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:50:37 +0000

One of the most discussed topics and big news right now is tech layoffs: Twitter layoffs with over 50% of staff cut in one day, as well as Meta layoffs and others. Apple and Amazon “paused almost all hiring” and announced hiring freeze for 2023. Lyft and Stripe said they are laying off hundreds of employees.

More detailed info about the job cuts on the layoffs tracker site: https://layoffs.fyi/

Other tech companies started to hunt for top developers who just lost their jobs. But is it really the right strategy right now? And how startups can attract top tech talent besides offering huge salaries?

We asked experienced tech leaders about how it will influence smaller tech companies and startups and what should developers do in this situation.

VIDEO: How to conduct an employee survey in 3 clicks?

Alex Olkhovoi — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 21:39:00 +0000

In this video, you will find about the best survey tool Ace that will help you to conduct employee survey in just 3 clicks, get free employee survey template, and questions to ask during a survey.

🔗USEFUL LINKS:
🎯Free employee survey template https://www.getace.io/templatesutm_source=devto&utm_campaign=templates_promo#test-and-survey
🚀Start 1st survey with Ace - SIGN UP: https://bit.ly/3yiLycy

00:35 - What do you mean by employee survey
00:43 - Why employee surveys are important?
01:20 - Free employee survey template
01:31 - How do I make an employee survey? employee engagement survey
01:40 - What should be included in employee survey
02:34 - What questions should I ask in an employee survey?

Help your team grow with Ace!

FREE ebooks for engineering management & tech leads: https://www.getace.io/ebooks?utm_source=devto&utm_campaign=ebook_promo
Ace's blog: https://blog.getace.io/
Grow This Grow That podcast: https://community.getace.io/
Instagram: https://cutt.ly/vectorly_inst
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VectorlyHQ