I think it's interesting that he (implicitly) laments the lack of loyalty. Current corporate culture is predicated on completely at-will employment: you can get laid off whenever management thinks it's important to "downsize" and "go lean"—how on earth do they expect their developers not to pick up and move as soon as things look better elsewhere? Loyalty works both ways.
Sure, providing challenges and better pay might help, but fundamentally, people (not just developers) will look at working for a company as only a job unless one of three things happens:
1. The company as a company is doing something the employee genuinely believes in. (Apple might be an example of that.)
2. The company has a good work atmosphere and a proven track record of loyalty. (Google comes to mind.)
3. The employee has a financial interest in the company. (Startups.)
Short of that, lamenting lack of loyalty is lamenting the fact that your removable cogs are willing and able to remove themselves.
Comments
I think it's interesting that he (implicitly) laments the lack of loyalty. Current corporate culture is predicated on completely at-will employment: you can get laid off whenever management thinks it's important to "downsize" and "go lean"—how on earth do they expect their developers not to pick up and move as soon as things look better elsewhere? Loyalty works both ways.
Sure, providing challenges and better pay might help, but fundamentally, people (not just developers) will look at working for a company as only a job unless one of three things happens:
1. The company as a company is doing something the employee genuinely believes in. (Apple might be an example of that.) 2. The company has a good work atmosphere and a proven track record of loyalty. (Google comes to mind.) 3. The employee has a financial interest in the company. (Startups.)
Short of that, lamenting lack of loyalty is lamenting the fact that your removable cogs are willing and able to remove themselves.