Developers waste 8+ hours weekly on inefficiencies like technical debt

A recent survey highlights a startling revelation: 69% of developers lose 8 hours or more per week to inefficiencies in their role – and 20% of their time!

This results in a substantial loss of potential productivity. For an organization with 500 developers, this inefficiency costs around $6.9 million annually, according to the research.

So, do you still think productivity is not that big of a problem?

Technical debt is the biggest cause of time loss

So, how many working hours a week do developers lose to inefficiencies? Most of them (36%) lose 8 hours a week

And what are the key friction points? Survey shows this:

• Technical debt: 59%
• Insufficient documentation: 41%
• Build processes: 27%
• Lack of time for deep work: 27%
• Lack of clear direction: 25%

While 44% of developers believe leaders are aware of these issues, an overwhelming 99% of leaders acknowledge that the developer role has become increasingly complex.

Talking about complexity drivers, the biggest one is understaffing (48%), followed by expanding developer role (47%), new technology (47%), context switching (43%), and collaboration with other teams (43%).

Leaders admit productivity metrics are falling short

Research also showed that most leaders concede that their current productivity metrics are ineffective. The most commonly used metrics (amount of code written, story points completed, and hours worked) are not only unenthusiastic but also often found ineffective by those who employ them.

This is concerning, as 63% of developers value experience when deciding whether to stay in their jobs, and two-thirds consider leaving if dissatisfied.

Also, measuring hours worked is particularly problematic as it only indicates time spent on a laptop, not actual productivity. 69% of developers lose 20% or more of their time to inefficiencies, with 55% of leaders finding “hours worked” an ineffective measure.

Experience and Productivity are intertwined

Productivity and experience are intertwined but context-specific, with no single metric capturing both. An Atlassian survey reveals a concerning mix-up of developer productivity and experience, with many organizations using the same tools for both. This risks tracking the wrong metrics, highlighting the need to separate the two. Also:

• 51% of organizations focus on measuring developer productivity.
• 49% focus on developer satisfaction.
• 41% use tools to measure both productivity and satisfaction.

And this is how important developer experience is to developers:

Can AI help?

Engineering leaders are looking at a mix of automation, tooling, and cultural shifts to increase both autonomy and collaboration. AI is seen as a key tool, with organizations worldwide expected to spend $40 billion on GenAI tools this year, growing to $151 billion within three years.

These are top areas leaders believe will improve both developer productivity and satisfaction (multiple choice question):

But despite leadership’s optimism, developers remain skeptical about AI-based tools‘ current impact on productivity. However, there is optimism for the future.

• Not at all: 30%
• Slightly: 32%
• Moderately: 22%
• Very: 11%
• Extremely: 5%

Ask your developers what they need

The research reveals that improving developer productivity hinges on simple but effective strategies: ask developers what they need and align efforts accordingly.

As complexity rises and budgets tighten, understanding and addressing developers’ concerns is crucial for boosting productivity and success. While progress may have ups and downs, staying in tune with developer feedback and maintaining open communication is key.

And keep in mind that positive developer experience in this research hinges on three core elements:

1. Feedback loops: Continuous improvement through learning and adjustments.
2. Manageable cognitive load: Well-organized code and accessible documentation.
3. Flow state: Uninterrupted focus and fluid task execution.