DHI 2021 byHoneypot Logo

developer happiness index2021

Research around developer happiness is increasing, and as a developer-focused job platform, their happiness is at the heart of what we do. In these reports, we investigate how developers evaluate their happiness across four categories: work, quality of life, social freedom and community; and reveal where in the world they’re happiest, how age, gender and experience impact happiness, and why developers should think of happiness as more than just a personal issue.

Overview

In 1971, Gerald M. Weinberg, put forward a controversial idea: we should look at programming as a human activity, not just a mathematical, scientific, or technological one. 

Sounds obvious, right? But The Psychology of Computer Programming was a landmark book, pushing organisations to look at software through a humanistic lens, not just a technological one. If you ignore the mainframes and punch card references, this book feels as relevant today as it likely did in the seventies.

Weinberg was right to look at developers’ emotions and relationships. Happiness shapes job market outcomes, productivity, and even firm performance. Thanks to a growing body of research looking specifically at developer happiness, we know today that happy software developers are more productive, write better code and make better decisions.  

What’s more, their sense of self is positively impacted: increased motivation and accomplishment, higher creativity, engagement and self-confidence are all results reported from greater happiness. Unhappiness, by contrast, causes low cognitive performance, mental unease or disorder, low motivation, work withdrawal and broken flow.

Consequences of Developer Happiness

Of course, the value of happiness goes far beyond the positive outcomes it drives in the job market. Higher levels of happiness are associated with better physical and mental health and a longer life span. Happier people give more, have longer and more fulfilling platonic and romantic relationships and more friends, and are even more likely to comply with COVID-19 rules! 

And happiness operates in a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop: if you are happy in work, you are more successful in work, and if you are more successful, you are happier.  Likewise, happiness in one area of your life drives and impacts your happiness in others. For example, if you’re happy in your community, you’re likely happy in your relationships as well.

As a developer-focused job platform and a community-driven company, developer happiness is at the heart of what we do. We hope that Honeypot’s Developer Happiness Index will empower developers in work and life and inspire companies to think about happiness not just as a personal issue, but also as an economic one.

2021

Developer Happiness Index: Global Insights

As a developer-focused job platform, developer happiness is at the heart of what we do. In these reports, we investigate how developers evaluate their happiness across four categories.

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2021

Developer Happiness Index: Germany

In this report, we zoom in on developers living and working in Germany to better understand which factors positively and negatively influence their happiness; with particular focus on their career.

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2021

Developer Happiness Index: Netherlands

In this report, we zoom in on developers living and working in the Netherlands, and through our insights can better understand which factors positively and negatively influence their happiness; with particular focus on their career.

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