My wishes for the Industry in 2022

2022 is here, and many people make wishes and new year’s resolutions. I want to make one as well, but not for myself, for my industry - Software Engineering.

In the past few months, I became more active in LinkedIn. I feel that this social network gives me more values than other social networks, because for me - my job is also my passion. With intense LinkedIn usage, I’ve been exposed to more companies and their cultures. And I’ve seen some things that make me sad. So I’ve made some wishes for 2022.

My wishes for the software engineering industry in 2022

I wish that in 2022, companies will understand that work from home is here to stay. People can be productive by working from home. 2020 and 2021 showed that. What kills productivity - is commute and open offices. Mingling is important, but there are many ways to do mingling rather than gather everyone into an office 5 days a week.

I wish that in 2022, companies will focus on making value rather than making buzz. Great people want to do great things. They want a sense and feeling of achievement, leaving their mark in this world. You think your new year’s parties going to lure in people? You keep showing off that you have a Barista in your office - you think I can’t afford a good cup of coffee? I look at some companies, and all I see is “we make lots of fun, come make fun with us”. No. I have weekends to have fun with my friends, rather than my colleagues (speaking about work life balance - I don’t want to hang out with my colleagues). I want to come to your company and be able to make an impact. And it’s hard to make an impact, when all your promotional content is how many sweets you eat at the office and how cool your trip was. You show off your donuts - you get people who like to eat donuts. You show off the impact you make in this world - you get people who want to make that impact with you.

I wish that in 2022, companies will stop hiring people that think and look like them. Diversity breeds better products. When you hire like-minded people - you stay the same. The average of n 5s is still 5. When you hire people who are different, you get the chance to grow. Growth happens outside of your comfort zone.

It’s not an extensive list. But those are my wishes for the change in our industry in 2022. Happy new year!