Many organizations are struggling with finding skilled software developers for their development teams. To help increase the number of developers, one of the strategies emerging in the market is low-code platforms. Low-code platforms reduce the need to write code and increase the speed at which applications can be built and deployed. Essentially, low code puts development power in the hands of everyone, regardless of their title or role.
The recent Forrester Trends Report: Low-Code Addresses the Developer Shortage indicates that companies that lean toward low-code development might use a range of strategies to find this type of talent instead of relying only on applicants with programming experience. According to the Forrester report, “In fact, the companies that have hired the most low-code developers — consulting and engineering firms like Perficient — prioritize business acumen and general problem-solving ability above specific technical skills.”
According to the Forrester 2022 US Tech Labor Market Report, “The US tech labor market is set to explode by 2030.” In this report, Forrester states that the number of software developers is expected to grow about 20% by 2030, and tech companies are already experiencing challenges to fill open developer roles.
Low-code platforms help reduce the challenges experienced due to developer shortages. Companies know that developers cannot remain siloed in IT and need to understand the business at large, and “In this respect, low-coders are way ahead of their traditional counterparts,” according to Forrester’s Trends Report: Low-Code Addresses the Developer Shortage. This means the pool of potential low-code developers is huge. In order to hire and retain low-code developers, companies must abandon many of the assumptions and tactics that have become entrenched in the traditional developer hiring process. For example, prior programming experience is actually a hurdle to hiring low-code developers. According to Graham Wallis, General Manager of Automation at Perficient, who was quoted in the report:
“It’s easier to teach new people the right way to do things on modern platforms.” Graham Wallis – General Manager – Automation at Perficient
One of the important key takeaways is that by removing development skills as a hiring requirement, the barrier to entry for producing more developers is significantly reduced. People skills and industry-specific experience take precedence over technical skills, increasing the number of prospects who can fit low-code developer roles.
Interested in Learning More About Low-code at Perficient?
Visit our Careers page to see career opportunities and more! Or, contact us today!
