How the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting software engineers for web development

There is no occupation that was not adversely impacted by the pandemic of 2020. While unfortunately, some professionals had to struggle in adapting to the new modes of doing, with some losing their jobs as well, there are some fields that saw progress in these uncertain times. One of these areas of work is web development.

Amid an influx of new problems caused by the pandemic, there also came innovations and solutions that addressed these challenges. The unique thing about these? They were all digital, because, well, social distancing. According to Gaper, a firm that provides augmented teams of engineers to businesses, demand for web developers and software engineers rose to a point where it exceeded the supply. So, even during a pandemic, why should a company hire software developers?

Web Developers Can Work Remotely…Very Efficiently

If it weren’t already obvious, people have been working remotely since the pandemic started, and have been very efficient with it too. Businesses have been hiring remote web developers sometimes just to keep their entities running during a period of low market activity. There are several convenient ways to hire skilled developers without having to conduct a saturated in-house recruitment process.

Freelancers: Great For One-Time Projects

Of course the immediate idea that comes to mind is that of freelancers. Trusted online platforms that are major hubs of the gig economy like fiverr, and UpWork are a suitable source of hiring one person if you wish to get a one-time project done. This is because owing to the very nature of their work, freelancers expect to get done with their clients after a project is done and move on to the next. New projects from the same client will cost more. After-sales services are thus a little tricky to guarantee from this approach. This in turn makes it unsuitable for businesses that need constant upgrades and maintenance to their online systems.

Hiring Vetted Teams of Engineers

The pandemic saw companies like Gaper experience a dramatic surge in the volume of work they started getting. Where companies were struggling to keep their teams together and figure out new work modes, Gaper had already perfected the distributed team model. Companies like these hire engineers that are rigorously evaluated and vetted and then made part of a highly efficient structure of distributed teams in the company. Of course this means that team members may be located anywhere in the world, eliminating the constraints that come with physical locations and a pandemic.

This apprach is also different from outsourcing. Outsourcing firms are more focused on generating quick profits through temporary employees. Aftersales services are not a priority. Above all, they provide no real value to businesses who would like a proper team of engineers to work with them on a long term basis.

Adaptativeness Saved Businesses This Pandemic

And if someone is still trying to figure out the key to surviving uncertain times, it is flexibility and open-mindedness. The pandemic exposed a lot of loopholes in the current work systems employed around the world. It also vindicated proponents of remote work. Remote work it seems was not too bad after all.

This applies particularly well to applications like web development and other software engineering. Programmers, if equipped with necessary soft skills like time management and discipline, are remarkably productive regardless of where they work from. It is also easy to maintain team work and accountability.

The thing with remote engineers and teams is that they are free from the rigidities that come with traditional 9-5 office structures. With such teams, it becomes convenient to implement changes and new strategies in light of other developments like a pandemic or economic downturns. It is not exclusively up to the top management to figure things for the whole company since everyone can now make the necessary adjustments on their own end.

For Businesses and Developers

In short, the pandemic has meant a change in direction both for web developers and businesses that need their services. The former now has more avenues to work and apply their skillset to from the convenience of their own homes. The latter has the option to employ more flexible means of recruiting a team of engineers without sacrificing on any of the crucial requirements they need in professionals.

Businesses and engineers alike will now be judged by how flexible their business models are. Can they retain employees? Do they have strategies that will feasibly sustain them through uncertain times? How much have they grown in the past year? Industry analysis by Gaper suggests that the 9-5 office days are a thing of the past. Remote is the new normal.

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