The Developer Happiness Index by Honeypot is a very detailed analysis of what makes software engineers happy. In these reports, they investigate how developers evaluate their happiness across 4 categories: work, quality of life, social freedom and community; and reveal where in the world they're the happiest.
These are my highlights.
1. Work-life balance
- It can negatively impact happiness and mental health (mental disorders and burnout).
- Unpaid overtime is expected from developers.
- Employers need to train supervisors/managers to be positive role models.
- Remote work may improve work-life balance.
2. Work environment and culture
- There might be a trend of age discrimination in the industry.
- Companies want to build a "fun" culture, which can be isolating.
- Developers want managers who respect clean code practices.
- Feeling more appreciation from their boss would help developers stay longer.
3. Learning opportunities
- Developers often change jobs because of the lack of growth and learning opportunities.
- There are 2 types of learning: creative/technical and career growth.
- Only 1 in 4 developers wants to become managers.
- There is a lack of standardization among titles between companies.
4. Salary
- When starting careers the pay is almost equal for all genders.
- The gap increases after 2 years of experience.
- In no region are male and female developers paid equally.
- Money is important but it doesn't buy happiness (only to afford a "comfortable" lifestyle).
5. Tech Stack
- The industry moves quickly but companies don't need to adopt every new framework.
- Satisfaction on the tech stack gradually decreases with each year of experience.
- Common frustrations: Poor code quality, sloppy practices, unexplained broken code, imposed limitations.