{"id":4384235,"date":"2022-02-10T06:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T04:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dept.global\/insight\/how-talent-scarcity-is-shaping-tech-culture\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:41:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:41:42","slug":"how-talent-scarcity-is-shaping-tech-culture","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.dept.global\/en-in\/insight\/how-talent-scarcity-is-shaping-tech-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"How talent scarcity is shaping tech culture, for better and for worse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\n\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBack to all articles\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n<\/button>\n\t\tHow talent scarcity is shaping tech culture, for better and for worse\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\n\t<\/div>
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\n\t\tAshley Streb\t\t
\n\t\tChief Client Officer, DEPT\u00ae Americas\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t10 February 2022\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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According to Code.org<\/a>, there are over 600,000 unfilled technology jobs nationwide. However, only 71,226 computer science students graduated into the workforce last year, leaving a half-million-wide gap in the market.\u00a0

On top of that, software developer demand is projected to grow 22 percent<\/a> from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.\u00a0

On top of that<\/em>, the Covid-caused \u201cGreat Resignation\u201d is accelerating automation (from lack of labor) which is also<\/em> increasing the demand for technical jobs.\u00a0

This is an avalanche of a problem for organizations\u2013and one that doesn’t have a clear solution. Because of the lack of labor, companies are desperate, which is creating some bizarre cultural trends in tech organizations.\u00a0

We wanted to understand the cultural ramifications of this labor shortage. So we spoke with technical leaders to understand what they\u2019re seeing in their organizations, and how they\u2019re reacting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\tDevelopers: More Money, More Problems?\u00a0
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\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\tOf course, technical talent benefits from talent scarcity. Salaries for these individuals have skyrocketed over the past few years, creating a new baseline for these roles.\u00a0

But how do higher and higher (and higher) salaries affect culture?\u00a0

For so many organizations, it becomes easy to demand overtime or add pressure to project timelines. Surely, if an organization pays more for engineers, they expect equal value in output. But we know what often happens when people are overworked and stressed: burnout culture that spreads to product, design, and marketing teams.\u00a0

Pair burnout with a software developer\u2019s ability to change companies on a whim, and you\u2019ve got our current problem: a perpetual and normalized cycle of high pay, burnout, and job switching.\u00a0\u00a0

This is beneficial to no one.\u00a0

Sure, if you have enough money, you can hire who you need, but that\u2019s not realistic for non-FAANG organizations. Companies need to proactively maintain their culture, prevent burnout, and create healthier workplaces.

Working from home has made implementing cultural benefits more difficult, as Ashley Streb, chief customer officer for DEPT\u00ae Americas, states, \u201cI see a lot of what I call \u2018fatigue\u2019 within organizations. I believe this stems from a lack of separation between work and home. There is not as much variety in experiences which feels monotonous. We\u2019ve seen this at DEPT\u00ae too.\u201d\u00a0

The solution?\u00a0

\u201cIt\u2019s all about bringing back the human element. Connecting with people is important for variety, burnout prevention, and meaning amidst the day-to-day.

“Something like DEPT\u00ae Fest<\/a> or happy hours gives people the time to connect which recharges us all. People have lost that human element, so we all need to find ways to have that in our cultures.\u201d\u00a0
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