Here are some recommendations for how to make your software developers happy.

  1. Use the best gear money can buy - Devs get impatient running on cheap / slow equipment.
  2. Enable deep focus - Open-plan offices can hinder concentration and getting into a state of flow when solving problems.
  3. Embrace flexible working hours - Including remote working, flexi-time, telecommuting, compressed work weeks, digital nomad.
  4. It’s a burn-down not a burn-out! - Don’t expect devs to regularly work overtime.
  5. Empower - Autonomy, not micromanagement.
  6. Promote Continuous Learning - Devs who get bored and lose curiosity could write worse code and eventually leave.
  7. Instill a sense of purpose - You work makes a difference. Celebrate your successes!

Those points come from Shiny Happy Developers post on towardsdatascience.com. I encourage you to read more there as I loved the post and can really relate the ideas.

The post mentions a couple of things you can try as a team leader or manager to improve happiness of devs in your business. If you are a developer, you can seek these out yourself in your current or future positions. Maybe talk to your fellow devs and HR to see how your office environment could be improved.