Despite almost half (45%) of UK tech professionals receiving a pay increase last year, and 1 in 7 receiving a promotion, UK tech teams are feeling the strain of budget constraints and rising workloads – as half (50%) report that they’re considering leaving their present role in the next 12 months.

This was one of the key findings from the Harvey Nash Global Tech Talent & Salary Report, which we media launched this month, and is based on a survey of over 2,700 technology professionals globally. Already, we’ve had widespread media coverage including news pieces and viewpoints in Forbes, Computer Weekly, Computing, CIO Dive, IT Pro, Digit.fyi and Diginomica.

The report, which unearthed interesting insights about employee attrition, motivation and top priorities when seeking and staying with employers, also found that in the face of tightening budgets:

• The workloads of more than half (54%) of UK tech professionals increased over the past year.
• More than a quarter (27%) report a reduction in the size of their team, with 91% feeling that the lack of people resources has created a barrier to delivering their technology strategy.
• UK staff do, however, feel well supported – with 85% of tech professionals saying their employer is supportive of their physical and mental wellbeing.

Andy Heyes, Managing Director UK&I and Central Europe at Harvey Nash said: “Whether or not UK technologists follow through with their intentions to leave remains to be seen, but what is clear from our study is that expectations of their roles and the companies they work for are changing. After pay, satisfaction in flexible work environments, work-life balance, and positive corporate culture feature high on their list of demands. Even with tech talent availability returning to pre-pandemic norms, UK businesses must adapt to these evolving needs to attract and retain top tech talent effectively.

Going forward retaining talent will be a delicate balance between getting the pay right and keeping work interesting and rewarding.”