How to Handle a Disappointing Raise for Software Developers

Even Though It’s Been a Great Year

There is a real problem in software engineering and development. It seems obvious, but there are real difficulties in knowing who has done what, and the quality of what has been done.

Here is what is happening and perhaps more importantly what you should do about it.

Many companies (and not just those who use stack ranking) say that there isn’t money available for your bonus for the simple reason:

— There isn’t enough money for both you and someone else. The other is simply better than you.

I've seen this so many times. Great developers are not getting the recognition that they deserve perhaps because they are not getting the support they need to perform in their jobs.

The reason behind this is simple. Software developers are expensive to hire and once you have one there is inertia in the job market that will likely keep them in their current position for some time.

There is a risk to an individual in changing their job

The answer is usually to avoid giving any individual developer a rise or bonus.

It is true that hiring is expensive. It is also true with tools like stack ranking tech companies work to avoid paying any particular developer what they are worth. The reaction from any company is expressed tacitly thusly:

I remember my last bonus meeting. We are remote and I’d not been set any targets for the preceding year (I made my own). So, in the review, the boss didn’t bother to switch on their camera and gave me…

Related posts:

A sonnet to nature.. “Eighteen Recomposed.” is published by Allen Liao 廖晉德.