Here's the list of six items that can make the difference between happy and unhappy programmers HR execs of any organization will tell you that software developers (with their beards, coke-bottom glasses, et al) are a scary species to manage, and things just get worse when it comes to getting work out of a virtual software developer. It's therefore very important to understand what keeps a software developer going, and it's not just money! It's unbelievable but there are companies that pay their developers in gold, and then expect them to work with pathetic working conditions and hand-me-down hardware. This makes no business sense whatsoever and when we at virtual employee hire a virtual software developer for a client sitting half a world away, we make sure that the developer is happy when at work. Here's the checklist we keep in mind when setting up a programmer's workstation. The items in the list are so trivial that it's surprising many companies miss out on them, but then “Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle...”, that's Michelangelo for you. The list: 1. Every workstation shall have two monitors
Limiting your developers to a single screen is crazy, especially with the plummeting prices of LCDs and the ubiquity of dual-output video cards. The productivity benefits of doubling your desktop are well-known by now and it's a simple way to increase the efficiency of your developer.
2. Every workstation shall have a fast PC
This point is so obvious even writing it down is sort of embarrassing. But it is surprising how many organizations overlook the fact that developers want to cycle through debug and compile cycles as fast as possible. Also, developers need a lot of software to get their job done: development environments, database engines, web servers, virtual machines, and so forth. Running all this software requires a fast PC with lots of memory.
3. Every programmer shall be given mouse and keyboard of their choice
Alright, a programmer being unhappy over the mouse and keyboard he's got sounds like fiction. Don't take our word for it, ask a few programmers and find out for yourself.
4. Every programmer shall have a comfortable chair
Let's face it. Your programmer shall sit on the biggest muscle in his body – the Gluteus Maximus (that's a polite way to say, “Butt”!) – For eight hours, maybe more, everyday. Either you get him a comfortable chair, or some other company will.
5. Every programmer shall have a fast Internet connection
Why write code that already written and right there on the Internet waiting to be downloaded? Spending time doing something that's already been done doesn't make sense anyway, so get them a fast Internet connection.
6. Every programmer shall have quiet working conditions
Programming is a job that requires intense mental concentration. So make sure your programmers don't have to work in an interrupt-driven environment.
These few basic comforts a programmer asks for aren't extravagant demands. They won't cost your company much but can go a long way in making the difference between success and failure.
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