This year was a test for everyone, a test that challenged our basic instincts of closure and human interaction. Businesses were taken down, jobs were lost, relationships were tested, but all in all 2020 was a year of changes, massive changes. It was the year that put an accent on what is truly important and forced some of us to change for the better.

This year, more than ever, we relied on software developers, either to start a new business or to make a needed change in our current business to survive. We have to admit that software developers, together with the entire IT department, have tried to make this year and the restriction imposed by the pandemic times to pass by more comfortable.

Software developers deserve our attention this year on Christmas more than ever.

Here are some ideas of practical presents that you can offer to your software team and that might also increase their productivity:

That software that they asked for since they got employed

We all have those guys that are working hard, but they would love to switch the words around into hardly working. Most of the time, those people know exactly how to do it, and they can’t stop asking for those premium accounts of different software that will change their way of working. Yes, it might look scary at first glance on spending money on something might or might not work. Any evolution comes together with sacrifices and anxiety on the plate. Most of the time, change is for the better.

So, this Christmas, risk it and try buying some moths for that software that your department asked for. Make it evident that this is the present you are offering them for Christmas by stressing out your sudden change of mind about this; they would be much happier than any rise you offer them.

Increase their time on single tasks that they love

This one might sound close to impossible and unnecessary, but developers are usually those strange creatures that are artistically creative but perfectionists in their nature. Especially in big projects, they would give up on some of the details to deliver until the deadline. No one wants to delay their projects, and most of the time is not even needed.

One way to increase the deadline of one single process could be by taking other tasks out of their shoulders and allow them to work more time on those tasks that they love to tune-up. By outsourcing parts of the project, you will enable your internal team to take care of the cool aspects of the project while the boring one is taking care of professionals.

When you opt for outsourcing, you have more chances to find someone that is specialized and excited by the boring part of the project. This way, 2021 will be a more exciting year for the people that are artists in codes in your company.

Give them ambitious projects with an extended team

This one usually brings more revenue and represents the bridge from the 2020’s YourCompany to 2021’s YourCompany. Right now, as any company, you have a margin of projects that you can take, increasing your margin will mean increasing your teams, but this does not necessarily require a risky investment in the long term. You can offer some sprints on big projects by providing an extension of your team by outsourcing different processes and put members of your team as coordinators. Allow them to explore and evolve at a fast pace.

This Christmas is about evolving and change; after such a year, it is vital to create an environment that can offer them the chance to grow for the better. It was a challenging year, but it felt to everyone like a turning point, an evolution stage that could happen. So go to your software department and tell them that 2021 is just the MVP of what it comes.

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