With skilled developers in high demand, they have the upper hand and can get pretty selective about where they work. For employers, understanding what developers value beyond financial compensation becomes crucial to attract top talent without breaking the bank. In this article, we’ve compiled key data and spoken with tech leaders to provide insights that will help you stay competitive as an employer.
In 2024, a survey of 1,200 developers across Europe conducted by the developer community WeAreDevelopers revealed the priorities for those actively seeking a job. Salary and financial rewards were the top priority (61%), followed by work-life balance (52%), and flexibility in work hours or the option to work remotely (41%).
Earlier, in 2021, Stack Overflow surveyed over 500 developers to find their motivations to switch jobs. Among the respondents, 74% were either actively looking for a job (20%) or not actively seeking but open to new opportunities (54%) — when asked why, about 65% named salary as the primary reason, with 39% wanting to work with new technologies, 36% wanting better work-life balance, and 35% seeking growth or leadership opportunities.
Remarkably, when developers were considering staying with their current employers, flexibility at work was the key factor (65%), surpassing salary (59%), while opportunities to learn (56%) closely followed.
The survey also includes valuable information about the developers’ perspectives on interview processes. Aside from getting another offer (36%), the main reason why developers withdrew from interview processes was disliking the tech stack (32%). Other reasons included a disorganized interview process (24%), odd interview questions (24%), negative employee reviews (24%), and a lack of information about the company culture (22%).
In a recent research by the enterprise learning platform Skillsoft, the importance of continuous learning was also evident. The top benefit IT professionals see value in is professional development (94%), beating out a raise (93%), paid time off (93%), and medical benefits (92%). After all, in the IT sector, advancing one’s skills plays a crucial role in ensuring job security.
More on the tech stack
Given developers’ focus on the tech stack, employers may find themselves wondering whether theirs measures up. Another survey by Stack Overflow, this one from May 2024 and involving 65,000 developers, provides some insights. Rust was the most admired programming language for the ninth year in a row, with 82.2% of developers appreciating it. Meanwhile, Python was the most wanted language, with 41.9% of developers eager to work with it. Phoenix was the most admired framework, favored by 83.7% of developers, while React was the most wanted framework, coveted by 33.4%.
In the recent webinar “The Recent Evolution of Tech Talent Hiring,” hosted by the skills assessment platform DevSkiller, panelist Anders Persson, the founder and CEO of Comstream — a recruitment and nearshoring company specializing in IT — talked about his insights on working with developers. He emphasized that the tech stack is a crucial factor for them. “My experience is that it is extremely important for developers to know what they will actually work with — what technologies, what languages, what frameworks, and what they’re allowed to do. If they’re allowed to suggest things, like new technologies to be implemented, it can be very positive. Whether it’s a maintenance project or they can develop something from scratch — if it’s a maintenance project, it can be good to find some areas where the candidate can grow and develop something new and maybe extend functionality or kick off a little project on the side where they can explore some new technologies. That’s one takeaway, for us at least. It’s very important for the candidate to know what they will actually work with. It’s like if you’re hiring a Formula 1 driver and you don’t show the Formula 1 driver the car. I mean, do you think he will be interested?”
Developer priorities through the eyes of tech leaders
We spoke to three different tech leaders about what matters most to them and their teams in the workplace.
Autonomy, dynamism, transparency, and alignment
One of the tech leaders we spoke with was Danny Farias, CTO at Juntos Somos Mais — a hub for Brazil’s construction sector that operates a B2B loyalty program and marketplace. Leading a team of 100, Farias shared his perspective on what is most important in a professional environment, both for himself and his team.
For him, autonomy is non-negotiable, and it must come hand in hand with responsibility and clarity: “What I value most is an environment that promotes autonomy with responsibility. Having the freedom to propose, test, and make decisions is essential for people’s engagement. But this only works when paired with a clear understanding of business objectives and real accountability for the impact of those decisions.”
Beyond autonomy, Farias places high importance on a dynamic company culture — something alive, adaptable, and inclusive. He states, “I value companies that treat culture as a living organism, not just something framed on the wall. It should be discussed, revisited, and adapted as the business grows, as new people join, and as needs shift. True culture respects diversity in profiles and experiences. There can be no strong culture without consistency between discourse and practice.”
Another priority for Farias is transparency, especially in how goals and decisions are communicated: “When the company clearly shares its goals, challenges, and reasons behind its decisions, it fosters an environment of trust and alignment. This approach empowers people and provides context, meaning, and purpose to their work.” Talking about alignment, he draws a key distinction between unity and alignment: “More than a united team, I value a team aligned with the company’s objectives — one that genuinely shares knowledge and that challenges each other. That’s how you elevate both individual and collective performance.”
Farias underscores the importance of creating a safe space for opinions and experimentation. “Over the years, I have observed that when people feel comfortable sharing their opinions and experimenting, we see improvements in both productivity and employee satisfaction. However, it is equally critical to provide clarity and transparency about the reasons for things. Employees want to understand the company’s direction, the reasons behind changes, the challenges being faced, and how they can contribute to the overall success.” This need becomes even more crucial in a growing organization: “As the organization has grown and continues to expand, we have adjusted our communication practices, including the tools and routines, to strengthen collaboration and foster a sense of security among the team.”
Having built his team from the ground up, Farias has witnessed evolving preferences among the developers, but two fundamentals hold firm: continuous learning and technical challenges. “Technology professionals value environments with relevant problems to be solved, exposure to modern technologies, and opportunities for professional growth. More than courses or certifications, they seek to learn in practice. They want to grow alongside knowledgeable peers and leaders who encourage the exchange of knowledge.” His comments align with the previously mentioned survey data highlighting the importance developers place on opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
Ultimately, Farias believes that developers want more than being part of a technically excellent team; they want to feel human at work: “Emotionally healthy environments rooted in respect, inclusion, and genuine exchange are increasingly valued. It is not enough to be technically good; people want to be part of a collaborative team where their opinions are valued, and where mistakes are seen as part of the learning process.” He emphasizes the positive business results that stem from this intentional culture: “Even during rapid growth or downsizing, we’ve maintained strong engagement. We’ve seen team members grow into leadership roles, and we’ve kept turnover low. That doesn’t happen by chance nor overnight — it starts with the company’s leadership and is built through example.”
Farias wraps up with a reflection: while salary matters, it’s not what drives daily motivation. In his words, “Salary is important, but what makes a difference in day-to-day life are the bonds built with the team, the alignment with the culture, and the clarity of purpose and direction.”
‘Emotional comfort’ vs. the tech stack: different priorities for seniors and juniors
Another tech leader we spoke with is Milen Dermendjiev, CTO at CloudSigma, a Cloud-as-a-Service platform. He currently leads a team of 32 across four departments (Development, Operations, DevOps, and Technical Support), including their respective department managers. In discussing what IT professionals value during the interview process, he draws a clear distinction between junior and senior candidates: “What I see is that it really depends on whether the candidate is junior or senior. Seniors, for instance, tend to look for what I’d call ‘emotional comfort’ — let’s use this terminology.’’
Dermendjiev breaks down the concept like this: “As I see it, emotional comfort consists of three main components. First, the company culture and work model, including flexibility, work-from-home policies, and team-building activities. Second, the level of pressure, that is, how deadlines are planned, whether there’s monitoring like mouse or keyboard tracking, and overall stress levels. And third, the soft skills of the manager and the team, their friendliness. You know, some people become managers for their technical expertise, but their soft skills are below zero. When a senior candidate spots that kind of leadership, it immediately raises a red flag. If you ask many of the people I’ve hired, they’ll tell you it was the interview with me that convinced them — because of the friendly and open atmosphere.”
When it comes to junior developers, Milen notes a different mindset: “Juniors are generally more willing to take risks. They’re prepared to endure pressure, long hours, and even poor management because they’re focused on building their CVs. For them, the tech stack and the nature of the project are the biggest priorities — they’re much more technically driven.”
Despite these differences, Milen observes that juniors and seniors have something in common: satisfaction with their job and company culture will make them stay — and can outweigh even significant financial incentives: “If you ask me why developers leave, I’d say it’s either because of salary or because of poor company culture — including bad management and excessive overtime. But when the culture is strong, I’ve seen developers, both senior and junior, turn down offers with 30% or even 40% higher salaries just to stay.” That’s how powerful a positive environment can be.
Knowledge, teamwork, and trust
Finally, we spoke with Julio Trigo, Dev Lead at Sohonet — a private network for media, television, and film — about his priorities and motivation. He emphasized the pivotal role of continuous learning as the key to both personal freedom and professional growth: “One of the things that I value the most about a job is the possibility of learning and growing. I believe that the most important thing you can get out of your work is knowledge: that makes you a better professional and gives you the freedom to choose the path you want to take in life. The more you learn, the better you can do your job, which opens more possibilities for you in terms of growth and career paths.”
In addition to the value of learning, Trigo underscored the importance of working within a healthy dynamic in a high-caliber team: “Another thing I value is the team I work with. The values and the dynamics of the people in your team will determine how most of your days go. Surrounding yourself with good, high-standard professionals who are open-minded is invaluable.”
Finally, he values trust and considers it another key ingredient for freedom. “A final thing I would mention is trust. Being trusted normally gives you flexibility and freedom. Flexibility allows you to work outside of regular hours to make up for some other moments when you need to be out of the office. And freedom to choose the solutions you consider the most suitable for the problems you are given.”
Wrapping up
As the competition for IT talent intensifies, understanding what truly matters to them becomes essential. From autonomy and meaningful work to flexibility and a coveted tech stack, the factors influencing where developers choose to work go far beyond salary. Remarkably, the technologies and learning opportunities are highly prioritized by developers, especially the passionate and ambitious ones: they understand that their career growth hinges on their ability to keep up with the latest advancements.
By listening to their developers and seeking alignment with what they value, companies can build environments where top talent not only joins, but chooses to stay and grow.
For more information on how to communicate your values and advantages to candidates and employees, check our section about employer branding.
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