The link between happiness and productivity for developers is an area of increasing interest for software companies and tech industry stakeholders. Happy developers get more done; unhappy developers get less done. Let’s take a closer look from both ends.

What Happens When Developers are Unhappy

  1. Reduced Performance

This is the most significant impact of unhappiness on a developer’s work. You ever noticed how it’s hard to concentrate on anything when you’re angry or sad? It’s even more pronounced in professions such as software development, where deep concentration for extended periods is compulsory. Some developers report their skills dropping more and more until they take some time to calm themselves down and come back to the task.

  1. Anxiety and Lack of Satisfaction

Negative emotions result in mental unease. Anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and depression can result when developers become unhappy because of negative situations in the workplace. They become disenchanted and lose satisfaction in their work. For developers, a lack of fulfillment is equivalent to a lack of motivation. Thus, when motivation drops or becomes nonexistent, procrastination, quitting jobs, and general withdrawal from work follow closely.

  1. Low-Quality Products

When developers are unhappy, they tend to deviate from the normal process while coding, cutting corners, and taking shortcuts frequently. Ergo, code gets sloppy, projects are completed slowly and messily, and the end product is full of bugs. Negative emotions in any workplace reduce the quality assurance of that business’s products, and the development world is no exception to the rule. One developer even reports deleting entire projects to start over with code that didn’t seem to be going in the wrong direction.

What Happens When Developers are Happy

When developers enjoy their work and find satisfaction in their environment, good things happen.

  1. Productivity is Assured

Happy developers tend to get more done and well done. This statement is further supported by 6-month long research conducted by Oxford University’s Säid Business School and BT, a British telecommunications firm. According to the study, happy workers are 13% more productive. That may be all the difference between a sturdy security framework and a flimsy one. Productive developers are more likely to have genuinely satisfied clients.

  1. Enhanced Growth

When the working environment keeps developers feeling motivated, they produce more stable software and applications, thus increasing customer satisfaction significantly. Consistent customer satisfaction will, in turn, improve your company’s brand and ensure more clients keep pouring in.

Happy developers are also more likely to recommend their workplace to other developers. These referrals will help you fill positions rapidly when the need arises and cut down on the time and cost of hiring using staffing agencies or running ads.

Conclusion

It’s not uncommon to see tech company buildings equipped with ping-pong tables, cappuccino machines, etc. It’s all to improve the vibe in the workplace and ensure developers are kept happy. After all, an angry developer equals an irate client. Therefore, try your best to contribute positive emotions to the work environment. Who knows, you may infect someone on the verge of unhappiness.