Your software development questions, answered
What are the biggest software development trends in 2021?
Cloud-native engineers continue to be in short supply but high demand as organisations of all sizes across the world adopt cloud at speed. Investment in AI is continuously growing as organisations want to make use of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing.
This means more developers will be needed to build AI functionality into software applications. Further developments in the use of VR, AR and MR will also create a need for more development expertise in these areas.
Which software development technologies are in high demand?
Competition remains high for Java and JavaScript engineers, and employers are also snapping up developers with experience in Python. Full-stack developers are especially prized by employers.
Requirements for those with expertise in cloud-based technologies and DevOps has seen exponential growth in recent months, causing demand for AWS, Docker, Kubernetes and GCP skills to continue to rise across several areas.
What soft skills should I look for in a software developer?
Software developers today often need to be more than just literate with multiple programming languages. As the development landscape becomes even more complex, look out for those with evidence of good problem-solving skills who will be well suited to assess an issue and choose the best solution.
Strong communication skills are a must-have to allow a developer to have the most impact when suggesting viable technical solutions to business needs. Creativity is another useful trait that allows innovation to flourish.
What salaries should I expect to pay for talented software developers?
The breadth of knowledge and experience a developer has will of course impact their salary. Typically, junior developers can expect salaries of around £30,000 with senior developers averaging £55,000 to £75,000 or more depending on their experience.
Technical directors can receive salaries upwards of £90,000 in regional hotspots like London, the South East and South West of the UK.
Within fintech, salaries can creep even higher to £50,000 for junior developers, £75,000 for mid-level developers and over £100,000 for the most senior developers. Contracting day rates will also vary.
In London and the South East, a junior web developer contractor can typically earn £325 per day, a senior front-end developer £525 per day and a full stack developer £550. Contracting development managers can earn up to £800 per day.
Aside from a good salary, what can I do to attract top software developers?
The real factor that can help your organisation to stand out from the competition is being able to prove your investment in upskilling. It’s obvious how much the software development landscape is evolving and a technology or language that’s currently popular may soon become obsolete.
Showcase your commitment to supporting an individual’s development either through investment in training using platforms, or an LMS like
Hays Thrive, offering time off for upskilling or the opportunity to get involved with different project teams to broaden their skillset.