Introduction
The way a tech professional feels at work impacts how long they stay in a role and what they might be looking for in their next move. This includes how they feel about the company values and the way the organization treats their underrepresented colleagues. It also includes how they feel the organization cares for them as people, beyond the contributions they make to the work itself.
In many cases, work-style preferences have the tendency to become cemented into people's lives – people build their routines around the flexibility their job gives them, selecting daycare hours, adopting pets, and organizing further education around the lifestyle their job enables.
In building out our survey, we sought to answer the following questions:
- How do tech professionals feel about the way their jobs treat them?
- How do they feel about the way their organization impacts the world?
- What sort of organization might tech professionals be more likely to join, excluding more direct factors like pay?
Our results were consistent with what we have seen in years before: remote work, employer branding and cultural alignment are still key factors in how a tech professional evaluates a role. We also noticed a concerning discrepancy between how much discrimination is seen between our responses from HR professionals and tech professionals. For HR professionals, staying attuned to these preferences and misalignments is crucial for successfully attracting and retaining top-tier tech talent.
As the demand for flexible work arrangements continues to surge, HR strategies must evolve to keep pace, ensuring that companies remain competitive and appealing in an increasingly dynamic job market. In this chapter, we’ll focus on how tech professionals have been experiencing work this year and explore how HR leaders can effectively improve retention and sourcing strategies using these insights.
Remote Work is Still Widely Preferred by Tech Professionals
Consistent with what we have seen in recent years, the tension between remote and in-office work continues to impact the workplace. Notably, the percentage of tech professionals expected to go into the office at least three days per week has increased significantly. Additionally, a growing number of these professionals indicate that their in-office attendance is now mandated by their companies.
This shift may be a key factor contributing to the decline in satisfaction with current remote work arrangements compared to the previous year. In fact, our analysis reveals a clear correlation between mandated in-office work and job dissatisfaction. Tech professionals who are required to work in an office at least one day per week report nearly double the levels of dissatisfaction, at 31%, compared to those who attend the office without a mandate, at 16%. The number one reason tech professionals cite for preferring remote work is that it is more cost effective. This is followed by the feeling that it leads to more productivity, more efficiency, and more flexibility.
Remote work, or lack thereof, does seem to impact employee well-being. Tech professionals who are never or not allowed to work remotely experience notably higher levels of burnout, at 42%, compared to their peers who work remotely four to five days per week and only experience burnout at a rate of 25%.
Interestingly, younger tech professionals, those aged 18 to 34, are much more likely to look at remote work with a nuanced perspective. Only 11% of this group feel that are no cons to working remotely. In fact, they were significantly higher than at least two other age groups to experience technical difficulties/internet issues, distractions, no defined workspace and find it harder to stay motivated.
How often, if ever, are you expected by your organization or manager to work in an office location?
Remote work remains a critical factor for tech professionals when evaluating new job opportunities. Nearly nine in 10 tech professionals said remote work plays an important role when evaluating new opportunities. Remote work also ranked higher than job stability/security and benefits. Additionally, six in ten tech professionals are willing to accept a pay cut or reduced overall compensation in exchange for a better work-life balance, a trait often linked to remote work flexibility.
For HR professionals looking to gain a competitive edge in attracting the best in tech, we suggest you start here.
Hear From An Industry Expert
Pete Radloff, Senior Leadership Recruiter - Engineering, DataDog
The Enormous Disconnect Between Remote Work Preferences and Employer Policies
While tech professionals clearly prefer remote work, a disconnect has grown between their preferences and the policies of many employers. A substantial 87% of employers continue to favor hybrid work settings, with 27% mandating some in-office days for their employees. Additionally, 12% of HR professionals report that their companies enforce a 100% in-office policy, highlighting a significant gap between tech professionals' expectations and the realities of current workplace policies.
This year’s survey also reveals an uptick in the removal of remote work, with 9% of employers eliminating such options—up four percentage points from the previous year. The primary drivers for those who removed remote work were C-suite or company leadership decisions, cited by 29% of HR professionals, and concerns over employee productivity and work performance, according to 25%. Only 15% of HR professionals indicated that changes to remote work policies were driven by employee requests or feedback.
What is your organization’s current work setting policy?
What primarily influenced the decision to change remote/flexible work arrangements?
The Enormous Disconnect Between Remote Work Preferences and Employer Policies
While tech professionals clearly prefer remote work, a disconnect has grown between their preferences and the policies of many employers. A substantial 87% of employers continue to favor hybrid work settings, with 27% mandating some in-office days for their employees. Additionally, 12% of HR professionals report that their companies enforce a 100% in-office policy, highlighting a significant gap between tech professionals' expectations and the realities of current workplace policies.
This year’s survey also reveals an uptick in the removal of remote work, with 9% of employers eliminating such options—up four percentage points from the previous year. The primary drivers for those who removed remote work were C-suite or company leadership decisions, cited by 29% of HR professionals, and concerns over employee productivity and work performance, according to 25%. Only 15% of HR professionals indicated that changes to remote work policies were driven by employee requests or feedback.
What is your organization’s current work setting policy?
What primarily influenced the decision to change remote/flexible work arrangements?
Work-life Balance and Burn-out
Despite otherwise low morale in other aspects of their work-lives, it is interesting to see that most tech professionals feel that their work-life balance is the same as it was last year. Compared to last year, when 51% of tech professionals reported that their work-life balance remained the same, this year saw a notable increase, with 57% indicating that their work-life balance stayed the same. Open- ended responses from those who indicated that work-life balance improved kept to similar themes - the transition to remote work and some positive job changes have led to increased satisfaction, better health outcomes, and improved overall quality of life for many individuals.
Tech professionals are experiencing burn out at the same levels as they have in recent years, as well. Today, 40% of tech professionals do not feel they experience burnout compared to 31% who feel that they do. Among those who are burned out, unfair pay or salary, a toxic work environment, and the lack of recognition for work and workload are the top contributing factors cited.
31% of tech professionals say they experience burnout.
While it is good to see that burnout isn’t on the rise, the proportion of tech professionals who experience burnout at 31% is still much too high. Every situation behind burnout is going to be different, but HR professionals should stick to what they know works: encourage their workforce to use the time-off benefits given to them, conduct and communicate a pay equity analysis, support healthy work-life balances with the right policies, and listen to employees when they express concerns.
Thinking about your work-life balance now, would you say your work-life balance is better, the same, or worse than it was last year?
Have you (or would you) taken a salary or overall compensation cut in exchange for a better work-life balance?
Employer Branding and Cultural Alignment are Crucial for Attracting Talent
The importance of employer branding and cultural alignment remains an emphasis among tech professionals. Similar to last year, 90% of tech professionals state that employer branding is crucial when considering a new employer. Within this, company culture continues to be the most significant element, with 83% rating it as the top priority, followed by reputation, at 68%, product or purpose, at 61%, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, at 46%.
90% of tech professionals say employer branding is crucial when considering a new employer.
Would you apply for a role at a company that offered you higher pay, but had a bad corporate and/or culture reputation?
How much does a company’s alignment with your vision/mission/values play into your decision to consider working at a company?
In alignment with their branding preferences, most tech professionals are also not willing to accept higher pay to work at a company with a poor reputation. This highlights the critical role that a company’s brand image plays in attracting top tech talent.
Beyond branding, alignment with a company’s vision, mission, and values is another decisive factor for tech professionals. An overwhelming 95% of tech professionals report that this alignment impacts their decision to join a company. HR professionals share this sentiment, with 96% indicating that alignment with the company's vision, mission, and values influences their hiring decisions—over half, at 58%, consider it a significant factor.
However, the effectiveness of employer branding strategies differs between tech professionals and the broader candidate pool. While 84% of all candidates find employer branding effective, only 77% of tech professionals feel the same. This gap may stem from the higher compensation expectations and the strong desire for remote or flexible work arrangements among tech candidates, which pose unique challenges for HR professionals working to attract and retain top talent.
While most tech professionals consider employer branding to be important, younger tech professionals, between 18 and 34, are significantly more influenced by it. Nearly all, or 94%, of tech professionals in this younger age group consider employer branding to be extremely, very, or somewhat important.
Employer branding is most important to tech professionals age 18-34
(significantly more so vs. 55+)
Many Tech Professionals are Supplementing Their Incomes With a Side-gig
Compared to last year, fewer tech professionals have a side gig or additional job, though the amount that do is still significant. Interestingly, 18% of tech professionals currently have a side gig or job in addition to their full-time role. Of those who do, 41% indicated that it is similar to their full or part-time role in tech. The number one reason for holding these additional roles is not surprising – most tech professionals who maintain these side jobs hold them because they provide supplemental income. The second most common reason cited is that the side job lets them work on a passion project.
Do you now or have you ever had a side gig or side job in addition to full/part-time employment
Discrimination in the Workplace is Up According to Tech Professionals - HR Professionals Tell a Different Story
DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) lost some attention in 2024 and underwent some critique in the marketplace. In addition to some politicization of the term, and resulting backlash, some organizations within the HR community, like SHRM, weakened some of their earlier policies.
Additionally, tech professionals report that discrimination in the workplace has risen since 2021. This year, 23% of tech professionals report experiencing racial discrimination in the workplace, up 5 percentage points from the 17% that reported the same in our 2021 Salary Survey. Gender discrimination has risen as well, with 24% of today’s tech professionals reporting gender discrimination compared to only 19% in 2021. Also notable: women are more than twice as likely to report that they are “very dissatisfied” with their role. It is possible that a rising feeling of discrimination is impacting this.
Have you experience racial discrimination in the workplace?
Have you experience gender discrimination in the workplace?
Concerningly, HR professionals tell a different story. According to them, discrimination is down year-over-year and much of the progress that has been made toward DEIB efforts is working. When asked how frequently racial discrimination occurs in their organization, 60% of HR professionals said never or very rarely, a significant improvement from 52% of respondents that said the same in 2023. Similarly, 60% of tech professionals report gender discrimination — up 9 percentage points from 2023.
This misalignment is concerning for several reasons, but the most important takeaway is that HR teams may need to look at how effectively internal reporting is being conducted in their organization. These are damaging numbers and awareness of how tech professionals feel about discrimination in the workplace will be key to resolving and reversing some backwards progress.
How frequently do you think racial discrimination occurs in the workplace?
How frequently do you think gender discrimination occurs in the workplace?
The Bottom Line
Remote work remains a priority for tech professionals: Mandated office attendance is linked to higher levels of dissatisfaction and burnout among tech professional respondents. The most common benefit of remote work cited by tech professionals is “cost-effective”, followed by “more productive”, “more efficient”, and “more flexibility.”
There is a significant disconnect of remote/office preferences between tech professionals and their employers: Most employers favor hybrid office settings, with fewer reporting that remote work options have been added than last year, alongside an uptick in those that have removed remote work options. The largest companies (5,000+) are the most likely to mandate at least one day in the office.
Tech professionals report work-life balance this year is the same as last year: Fewer tech professionals note that their work-life balance has improved this year. Tech professionals who work from home at least one day a week have a better work life balance. Many tech professionals will prioritize better work life balance over a higher salary when considering a new role.