Language Lessons: Amid Great Resignation, employers offer English classes to attract developers: Survey

Employers are offering useful perks, like English classes, amid other benefits to attract talented developers amid the Great Resignation, says a global report by remote career platform Arc.

The tech industry has been seen as the hottest job market since the dot com era. So employers are thinking outside the box to attract and retain software developers during the Great Resignation.

Offering English classes is one of the lesser-known — but useful — perks that is increasingly available to developers. As per the report, multiple developers surveyed from Latin America and Spain reported receiving this benefit. As more and more companies hire globally, English remains an in-demand skill in the workplace for communication. For remote developers, English skills open up international opportunities not available before.

“Employers are offering useful perks like English classes to attract developers in the Great Resignation. The English language classes are going to be game-changers in helping organizations become more diverse and inclusive in the era of global work,” said Arc CEO Weiting Liu.

Other reported benefits include LinkedIn Learning, as well as a company car, bicycle leasing, clothes, and food money — carrying over from the pre-pandemic era.

Since the beginning of 2022, Arc has been surveying software developers regarding the compensation and benefits packages they receive. The results of the report are based on a survey of 2,982 remote software developers from over 100 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, and more. The developers work remotely or in a hybrid organization.

Top benefits offered to developers in 2022

A majority of remote software developers got flexible working hours in 2022, while nearly two-thirds were given the necessary equipment to work with.

The report shows 57% of all remote software developers across the world set their own schedules. “To stay ahead in the talent recruiting race, many employers are offering the in-demand developers what they desire: a move away from the 9-5 culture and towards more asynchronous and flexible work,” said Liu.

The five most commonly offered benefits that remote software developers receive, across all employment types, include:

• Devices (65.8%)
• Flexible working hours (57%)
• Health insurance (47.6%)
• Learning stipend (33.6%)
• Companies also address employees’ wish for work-life balance and more time to spend with their families by offering maternity/paternity leave to 28.1% — and generous vacation to 24.1% — of remote developers.

Top benefits by employee type

As per the report, the benefits package differs based on the types of employment.

• Full-time permanent employees: They are the highest percentage to receive health insurance at 66.1%.
• Full-time permanent contractors: 24.5% receive generous vacations — a perk unique to these developers in the top 3.
• Fixed-term contractors: Some full-time and part-time fixed-term contractors also receive devices (44.1%) and health insurance (21.3%).
• Freelancers: They get the least benefits — with 35% getting no benefits at all.