When it comes to attracting top dev talent, there really isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. And after getting candidates through the door, it can be hard to know how to engage and ultimately retain your technical development teams. One thing that does work? Tailoring your company culture to those who matter most: your people. With this is mind, we've written a handy guide to the 20 most developer-engaged brands, so you can take stock and perhaps even a little inspiration from the brands who are doing it really rather well:
Monzo
With flexible working, the ability to negotiate to work remotely full-time and free lunches, Monzo is a developer paradise. The benefits and perks are great, with free yoga, yummy breakfasts and stock options all part of the overall package. What’s more, Monzo make a point to really look after their entire team and even have a Slack channel specifically for mental health.
Priding themselves on taking on developers from a wealth of different backgrounds (one of the team has a marketing degree and many are non-graduates), technical people at Monzo work on project-based sprints in small teams. In fact, developers and engineers are able to move between teams and can specialise in whatever they’d prefer. Teams participate in regular hackathons and knowledge-sharing sessions; everyone is encouraged to learn as much as they can.
Experian
Half price cinema tickets, Bupa health insurance and a cycle-to-work scheme are all part of the Experian package. Based in Clapham, Experian HQ is a brilliant hub for all kinds of developers. Whether it’s C#, Java, JavaScript or even HTML, Experian works via an agile method and have been working on completely revolutionising their technical offering(s).
Operating at the centre of Big Data before the phrase was even coined, Experian look for software developers who can solve problems, are eager to learn and want to grow their careers. Named as one of Forbes’ ‘World’s Most Innovative Companies’ for 4 years in a row, Experian’s technology offering is key to their overall success.
Vodafone
The one thing to know about Vodafone is that they are passionate about their digital offering. With five types of benefits on offer, employees are given everything from retail discounts to shares and discounted holidays. Dedicated to all things digital, Vodafone are currently building out a completely new technical infrastructure and have a new digital hub in Southwark.
Adopting an agile method at scale, developers at Vodafone create world-class user experiences and all whilst using the latest technologies. The key to developer life at Vodafone is having the right mindset. The team are constantly working on new ideas, creating award-winning work whilst constantly experimenting. Putting it lightly, developers are well looked after at Vodafone.
Revolut
With its technical teams using Kotlin, Dagger2, RxJava 2 and Room, Revolut is a challenger bank that thrives on its non-bureaucratic company culture. The company mantra is as follows: ‘to challenge the bigger [BANK] players and reinvent how people interact with their money - for the better’; with developers at Revolut playing a big part in changing the face of banking.
A multitude of developers with different disciplines work at Revolut (think: iOS, Android, Full-Stack, Back-End etc), with the tech team(s) valuing those who love to debug, use logic and design solutions, execute them - repeat. What’s more, flexible working and the ability to grow careers rapidly are both on the menu.
Deliveroo
An engineering-led company, Deliveroo has been described as one of the most exciting start-ups in the world. Every employee gets equity, there’s Free Lunch Fridays (it would be rude not too) and working hours are flexible.
Driven by technology, team Deliveroo use Machine Learning to predict the time it takes to prepare meals and more. Their stack utilises Ruby/Rails, GO, Python, Scala, Android, Kotlin, Swift, React and JavaScript, and graduates are able to choose whether they want to specialise in back-end, web or mobile development! Deliveroo has a problem-solving culture, with tech teams hailed as the heart of the company.
Argos & Sainsburys
Having acquired Argos in 2016, the Sainsbury’s/Argos merger showcases one thing in particular: a dedication to tech. Both companies have tech teams that operate out of digital hubs/labs, with said teams dedicated to testing new ways of digital shopping and keeping their systems running smoothly.
With Sainsbury’s stating that digital and technology is a core part of their future growth, both retailers are keen to experiment with how technology can improve their businesses. What’s more, all teams are treated incredibly well at both retailers. Discounted gym memberships, travel and entertainment packages are all available.
Yoox Net a Porter
One of the most technologically advanced digital fashion retailers, the YNAP group has created a tech hub which aims to create a new centre for digital expertise. Built to accelerate innovation and deliver the ‘best in-class technologies’, YNAP are dedicated to providing an unparalleled customer experience.
The YNAP tech teams are specifically focused on developing Artificial Intelligence capabilities, including image recognition and personalisation, as well as creating the next wave of mobile technologies. What’s more, YNAP have partnered with Imperial College London in order to help teach children from underprivileged backgrounds (aged 8-14) the basics of coding.
Nationwide
Investing £4.1 billion on technology in the next five years, Nationwide Building Society has created a brand-new technology hub and has over 1,000 tech roles up for grabs. With business challenges designed to stretch the mind, Nationwide’s tech stack includes JavaScript, .Net, NodeJS, Cassandra and more!
Nationwide like engineers who operate over the full lifecycle - essentially going from design through to implementation. Encouraging engineers to coach one another, the theme of ‘tech-first’ runs deep at Nationwide HQ. They even hold regular meetups in their London office, with the most recent discussing agile methodologies.
Babylon Health
Believing that it’s possible to put an ‘accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on earth’, Babylon Health combines the power of machines and technology with the best medical expertise of humans. With a technical team that values building big dreams, fast, Babylon look for motivated software engineers; people who are not only comfortable with AI but also work well with statistical models and scientific computing.
Developers at Babylon are known for being team players. Focused on product delivery, the team are well looked after at Babylon and receive a range of benefits including share options, access to free Babylon Health doctors and even a corporate gym membership. Working on a stack that includes Python, Java and Scala, Babylon Health is arguably the best place to find back-end engineers, given the nature of the work.
ANDigital
Describing their team as the kind of people who have restless minds and a passion for technology, ANDigital are innovators within the tech space. Proud signatories of the ‘Tech She Can’ charter, the AND group offer a set tech budget, have a great pension scheme and competitive referral offers.
Working with clients such as TalkTalk, asos and even the Ministry of Justice, developers at AND certainly aren’t bored and are integral to the entire business. With tech teams working on a variety of different projects, developers work in an Agile Scrum environment and also adopt Continuous Integration throughout the delivery lifecycle. What’s more, AND are known for advising clients on coding best practises, performance, code refactoring and Scrum.
Of all the places where you’re most likely to find software engineers, Google isn’t exactly a bad place to start. Famed for a gold-standard company culture as well as their outstanding perks and benefits, Google is the place to work if you are looking to kick-start your tech career (and have the project experience to back it up).
What we love most? The 20% rule. At Google, engineers are encouraged to spend 20% of their working time (yes, you read that correctly) on a personal project. There’s also all the other stuff like free food, a gym AND the opportunity to relocate abroad. People at Google personally report that the dec teams are great and they enjoy working and creating things that move towards the company goals.
Described as ‘the real Disneyland for Software Developers’, Facebook is inevitably one of the best places to find the latest and greatest tech talent. Giving people the opportunity to shape and change people’s lives, developers at Facebook literally write and create new products constantly. People are trusted to write their own goals and hold themselves accountable.
Working with bleeding age technologies, like Google, Facebook gives developers the opportunity to choose their own teams after finishing the internal ‘bootcamp’ stage. Benefits are also similar, with developers essentially being trusted to run their own schedule, as long as the work is done. It’s worth noting that ReactJS, Hive and Presto have all come out of Facebook’s four walls…
Raspberry PI Foundation
A UK-based educational charity, the Raspberry PI Foundation strives to put the power of computing and digital into people’s hands, globally. Known for the Raspberry PI computer, the foundation now works to develop new educational programmes and content. With projects including working alongside the International Space Station, it’s clear that the developers at the foundation get to work on immersive and wildly interesting projects.
With a generous family leave policy, cycle-to-work scheme and regular ‘maker days’ to include making skills, developers who work at Raspberry Pi have the work/life balance nailed.
Kainos
‘Developing digital technology solutions that help people work smarter, better and faster’, Kainos creates bespoke solutions for both public and private organisations around the world. Building innovative software platforms to make life easier, Kainos was named ‘UK Microsoft Country Partner of the Year’ in 2018.
For software developers at Kainos, their work is integral to the rest of the organisation. Never a dull moment, the tech teams are responsible for designing, building, testing and operating modern digital service platforms. One of the best perks of working for the company? They accept applications from all walks of life, including if you have a criminal record or not. Shares, health insurance and a generous training budget are also included as standard.
Skyscanner
Having been awarded a ‘Top Developer’ badge from Google, Skyscanner is recognised, respected workplace for its commitment to developing high-quality, innovative apps on Android and signifies a high level of trust. Working to improve the mobile experience of all Skyscanner products, developers there ensure that everything is hyper personalised and things run smoothly from desktop to mobile.
Providing a forward-thinking technical environment, developers at Skyscanner are given complete ownership of their work and are reminded that their great work makes a difference to the company’s overall success. Design reviews are used to validate all significant changes and teams consistently ship code multiple times a day in order to deliver consistent customer value. A brilliant work/life balance is offered for technical teams, as well as a whopping 32 days of holiday, shares and private healthcare.
Rockstar Games
Tech talent who are passionate about playing video games can often be found working in the video game industry; the creme de la creme of course being Rockstar Games. At Rockstar, developers create ‘connected experiences’ that can be found across their game franchises. Rockstar don’t insist that their developers have a relevant computer science degree and welcome alternative education routes.
With a wide tech stack to play with, developers at Rockstar work on bleeding edge technologies. Focusing on ‘quality content’ first, teams at Rockstar have perks in the form of free video games, free private health and dental insurance and an on-site cafe with free breakfast (to name but a few).
BT
Designing, testing and operating systems which are used to deliver vital services to customers, software engineers get to work on a wide range of projects at BT. Being able to work on things like voice(!), TV, content delivery, mobility and security, engineers at BT get to flex their muscle and create things that they are truly proud of.
Hiring people with a huge passion for software, BT proudly place engineers into teams that play to their strengths. The perks for teams are second to none too, with lots of annual leave, the option to work from home and a subsidised broadband package - plus many more!
Amazon
One of the big four, working at Amazon is a dream for many different types of developers and engineers. Getting the opportunity to build scalable solutions for world-class problems, Amazon pride themselves on building *and breaking* things in order to benefit their customers.
A wide variety of engineers work at Amazon, including Android developers and Solutions Architects. With the opportunity to drive their own learning and development, Amazon provides excellent long-term development prospects and amazing perks; such as cinema ticket discounts, excellent maternity/paternity leave and on-site cafeterias and food.
SKY
A brilliant company with great benefits, Sky is one of the most highly-rated companies by developers in the UK. Having instilled a flexible working culture, developers at Sky are empowered to work in agile teams and take responsibility for their own workload.
Even going so far as to offer tech training courses for women, Sky take development and learning incredibly seriously and is a fun, ambitious workplace where developers can hone their craft. Free Sky Q, Sky Broadband, health care and life assurance are just some of the benefits available to staff, and the Sky tech team often hold events to encourage the overall conversation of tech as well as get more people involved.
KPMG
At KPMG, their people are integral to their overall success. Developers thrive at the global giant, who offer flexible technology-based solutions to their clients. With a graduate software development programme in place, people with a keen interest in technology can join KPMG’s 3 year course and learn all of the skills necessary to become top notch developers.
Working via the agile method, technical teams at KMPG typically work towards 2 week sprints. All team members are encouraged to participate in the stand-up, as well as sprint review and retrospective sessions. Developers work alongside all other parts of the technology-centric business, including business analysts and delivery managers. Free lunches (on the daily), great training and an exemplary pension are all part of the KPMG package.
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