The Great Tech Unrest: refresh your screen

OVER three quarters (77 percent) of UK tech professionals are unhappy in their jobs — and they’re seeking new roles.

The What Do Tech Talent Want in 2023 report by tech talent hub hackajob surveyed more than 1,000 UK workers in the industry, from developers and engineers to data scientists, analysts, designers, and product managers.

Woman working on computer, programming, tech worker illustration
Image by Freepik

According to the report, only 11 percent of UK tech workers are content in their current roles. It also reveals a disparity between what most UK employers are positioning as “benefits and perks” to attract and retain talent — and what that talent actually wants.

hackajob CEO Mark Chaffey says former perks are now the norm — flexible working, for instance — and many companies are struggling to figure out the new era of benefits. “The gap between what companies are offering and what tech workers want is causing unrest at a time when there’s no shortage of alternative job openings out there.”

Chaffey blames “a global pandemic, a shaky economy and multiple layoffs” for the situation, and says there is a marked shift towards increased job satisfaction. “New priorities, new ways of working and changing relationships with work are leading to a new set of frustrations in the workplace,” he said. “Employees want to be heard, recognised, and valued.”