Agile Developers Needed, Demand Outpaces Supply: Study
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The number of available agile jobs outnumbered qualified candidates by nearly 5 to 1 over the last two years, according to a study by Yoh Services.
"These discrepancies can hurt the hiring companies in the form of increased costs, salaries and turnover," Don Hanson, senior vice president of the eastern region at Yoh, said in a statement. "When companies hire the wrong candidate, they jeopardize employee engagement as well as potentially damage their reputation in the agile community, hurting future recruiting efforts. More than ever, a thorough vetting and hiring process is crucial for both agile employers and job seekers." For this reason, "agile developers hold all the cards," Bob Schatz, chief agile evangelist at Yoh and owner of Agile Infusion, an agile coaching firm, said in a statement. "As demand for agile skills continues to grow, employers must clarify the extent of their agile programs, whether they're established, new, or still just an idea. "By erring on the side of transparency about the state of the company's agile culture, employers will be able to find the best talent for their open positions and avoid turnover costs as well as misunderstandings during the hiring process that could alienate future agile recruits," he said. Yoh, a Day & Zimmerman company, sought insight into the state of the agile talent pool as demand continues to rise for agile practitioners, who build software and transform business processes through teamwork; customer collaboration; short, iterative cycles; and responses to change. As more companies seek a nimble and entrepreneurial approach to business, the agile development methods of companies like Facebook and Apple are quickly spreading, but a lack of educational resources has left few agile practitioners to fill that need, Yoh officials said.
