How to Build Employee Satisfaction: The EDB Open Source Talent Survey 2022

It is important to regularly take a holistic look at what is driving employee satisfaction in today’s tech organizations—and employee dissatisfaction. Analyzing these factors provides valuable insight that enterprises can use to ensure they retain top employees amid increased competition for tech talent. More often than not, determining the root of employee satisfaction boils down to what an organization isn’t doing, rather than what they are doing. 

With that in mind, EDB polled more than 1,400 application developers, IT/operations and business management professionals across the globe to understand their volume of work, the quality of training received over the last 12 months and motivations that could lead them to seek other job opportunities. With more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents reporting an increase in the volume of work assigned to them in the past 12 months, the survey aimed to identify the level of support, guidance and education necessary to keep employees happy, satisfied and motivated.

Results from the polling, further detailed below, reveal that dissatisfied employees in tech do not have access to programs that would increase their likelihood to stay with their current employer. In response, we recommend that organizations roll out initiatives to specifically support improved career path options, better mentorship opportunities and further training in emerging technologies such as Postgres to provide the competitive advantage that companies need in a crowded tech talent marketplace. 

Furthermore, it is not enough for an organization to claim they have such programs; they must be properly implemented, and employees must be given consistent encouragement and space to invest their time in these programs. Alongside improvements in pay and workplace benefits, prioritizing these initiatives can provide a company with a stable and satisfied workforce. Harnessing the power of the open source community can also give businesses access to the brightest brains across the world, even when encountering difficulties in internal hiring and retention. 

Developers are still eyeing their options amid the Great Resignation

When asked about their current jobs, just under half (46%) are very satisfied. Another 44% are satisfied, but would be open to a new opportunity if the right position were to present itself. An additional 10% are not satisfied with their current job, bringing it to a total of 54% of respondents who are open—and looking for—new roles. Similarly, more than a quarter (28%) have a less favorable view of their employer over the last 12 months.
 

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Employees will flee for better jobs without more mentorship and learning opportunities

Pay and benefits is often the name of the game (46%), but when asked what else would make them consider another job opportunity, employees cited improved career path options (43%, compared to 24% in 2021), with a significant emphasis on mentorship (38%) and greater access to training and certifications (30%) in 2022—compared to 17% in 2021.

Those who were most satisfied with their current employer said their organization rolled out a mentoring program in the last 12 months (21%), whereas those who were dissatisfied (43%) said they did not introduce any remote training and mentoring this year.

...And know they'll fall behind if they don't stay up-to-date on the latest tech

The number of employees that would consider leaving their current position for an opportunity to work with more cutting-edge technologies doubled in the last year, with 32% in agreement (compared to 16% in 2021). This is followed by an additional 19% that would like a job that allowed them more time to work on open source projects.

In 2022, employees viewed their employers’ approach to training for emerging technologies, like the cloud, less favorably (53% in 2021 vs. 41% today). Almost across the board, one-third felt the same when it came to training on core technologies (31%), security (31%) and compliance (24%), with less favorable reviews or claims to not being offered the training at all.

Are you looking to expand your tech horizons and work with Postgres, one of the most innovative databases of the last three decades? Check out career opportunities at EDB!