Intense workloads, inefficient processes and unclear goals are pushing most software developers to the brink, a new report from engineering productivity company Haystack Analytics suggest.
According to the report, more than four in five (83 percent) software developers suffer from workplace burnout, a problem that has only worsened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While increased workload was the number one source of burnout for software developers during the pandemic, 83 percent also expressed concerns over software reliability.
“The results show that developer burnout is far worse than I imagined when I designed this study,” said Junade Ali, research lead. “Given the ever-greater role software plays in society and the high rate of concern developers have for software reliability in their workplaces, this raises serious concerns about the quality of software that plays an integral role in our everyday lives and critical national infrastructure.”
With software growing more important year after year, and the number of developers increasing as well, the problem is only going to get worse, the report further states.
According to Statistica, there are roughly 408,000 developers in the UK today. In three years’ time, the global population of software developers is expected to hit 28.7 million.
Together with remote working, which is said to affect employee mental health in a negative way, business leaders are faced with a huge challenge to ensure their workforce remains both productive and in good mental condition.