There’s really four tiers of companies that hire software engineers:
1. Tech companies with global reach where engineers generate revenue
2. Tech start-ups that have limited funds
3. Non-tech companies (local & global) where engineers are considered a cost center
4. Local tech companies that are regionally limited
And we rarely, if ever, have a conversation about the differences between these types of companies, and how they structure compensation and the types of engineers they try to hire.
There is stratification in tech hiring, just like there was stratification in game development companies in the ’80s and ’90s. Similar but different.
I think this is a brewing crisis for many companies, and I think will start leading to a lot of dissatisfaction amongst employees. We’re already witnessing it here at the start of 2022, but what we’re seeing is just the tip, of the tip, of the iceberg.
I don’t know what the solution is, or how this is all going to play out, but I can make some pretty good guesses, and I am going to say, it isn’t going to be pretty for some companies, tech and non-tech that rely on tech, and immigration patterns both domestic and international.
The next few years in hiring are going to be extremely interesting.