Asian IT developers have seen a huge advantage from the increased prevalence of remote working, granting them access to new opportunities and enabling them to collaborate with some of the most prominent companies globally.
The Asia Developer Survey conducted by Works in September of last year yielded vital insights, having questioned more than one thousand programmers across the region.
Results from a survey indicated that over 80% of those surveyed believed their organization was either highly or moderately prepared for remote or flexible work. This finding is in line with the statistic that 74% of programmers now work remotely in some capacity. Additionally, almost all respondents (95%) reported that this arrangement had a beneficial effect on their work-life balance, concentration, and creativity.
Approximately 30% of developers indicated that they would not sacrifice any of their current benefits, including the freedom to work remotely if desired. 87% of participants reported having control over their working hours, location and methods; 50% stated that they work from home; 30% stated that they use co-working spaces; and 20% said that they work from dedicated offices.
Since its inception based on the concept of remote working, Works has a great opportunity to showcase how talented professionals from around the world can find employment and offer the expertise that companies require to achieve their objectives.
Asia has a large startup culture
The survey results indicated that 44% of respondents were employed by start-ups, 34% by corporations and 15% by NGOs. With regards to the origin of the employer, 45% were domestic firms and 55% were foreign firms. In terms of the type of employment, 53% were working full-time and 20% part-time.
A recent study has revealed that more than one third of developers in Asia have established their own businesses, demonstrating the region’s vibrant startup environment. Education was identified as the most popular sector for these businesses, accounting for 24% of all firms, followed by telecommunications (16%) and fintech (12%).
Insatiable intellectual curiosity
Our research revealed that there is a lack of formal training opportunities for developers across the continent. The majority (77%) of respondents indicated that they source their education from online resources, with free video lessons from YouTube and Vimeo being the primary source of information (88%). Additionally, 60% of the respondents reported using paid video lessons from platforms such as Treehouse, Pluralsight, Udemy and Coursera, whilst only 35% stated that they had enrolled in an official educational program.
Telephoning a colleague or friend (45%) and ‘Doing other work and returning to the issue later’ (44%) were viable options for obtaining assistance with development issues, yet Stack Overflow (81%) and Help and Tutorial videos (74%) were the most popular resources.
Python (21%), JavaScript (17%), and Kotlin (14%) were the most requested programming languages to be learnt by respondents, with no clear trend emerging in regards to the skills that developers were looking to gain.
The Works Learning Community is a reliable resource for developers, providing access to the materials necessary to further their skills and expand their services. The business has recently secured a Series E investment of $200 million, valuing it at $1.5 billion, and is now focusing its efforts on strengthening the developer community.
Focus on one’s own development is of primary importance
Fourteen percent of respondents reported being very content with their current employment, 27% were satisfied but not overjoyed, and 28% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. However, 37% indicated that they were actively considering a career change. Furthermore, 57% of job-seekers cited the potential for taking on more responsibility as a motivation for advancing their careers, and 48% also expressed a desire to work with the latest technology.
The majority (73%) of those driven by a need for continual progression in their career highly value jobs which offer opportunities for advancement and professional development.
The survey results clearly demonstrate that there is a wealth of experienced and enthusiastic developers in Asia who are ready to meet the increasing demand for their services.
If these two groups have previously encountered difficulty in connecting with one another, it is crucial to utilise Works’ comprehensive networking and recruitment resources.
Hope to join the Works Group? Submit your hiring request with us at https://www.works.so/hire-talent
