DevOps professionals feel undervalued by their employers

Nearly two-thirds of DevOps leaders feel undervalued by their organisation’s executive team – that’s according to new research from Spot by NetApp, a leading tech platform provider for cloud automation and optimisation. 

The study, which was conducted earlier this year engaged over 200 DevOps leaders from mid-to-large size companies, revealed a growing gap between the vital role of DevOps in cloud operations and a perceived lack appreciation from their organizational leadership.

The data shows that while competition for DevOps talent is intensifying, putting upward pressure on compensation, DevOps practitioners say they lack the resources and bandwidth to perform their role successfully. The research stands in contrast to a 2021 study by Bain & Company, which found that 90% of business leaders cited DevOps as a top strategic priority for their organisation.

With cloud adoption accelerating, the management and provisioning of infrastructure is vital to running reliable, secure, and scalable applications. As complexity in cloud operations grows, so do the demands on DevOps teams who must perform many mission-critical tasks manually. The research shows that 85% see this challenge as a primary impediment to focusing on work that creates more value.

Nigel Poulton, Author and renowned Kubernetes and Docker trainer commented: 

“There are many places where the report matches my real-world experience. the report accurately shows that senior leaders view cost management as a vital area of DevOps, whereas DevOps practitioners consider it one of their least enjoyable tasks. Understanding this gap can trigger DevOps teams to *left-shift* cost management into project design phases where it's far more enjoyable and fulfilling than when it's a day 2 afterthought.”

According to the report, DevOps practitioners see almost unanimous promise in the rise of automation to alleviate resource constraints and in making critical services like Kubernetes easier and more efficient to use. 

For organisations looking to scale in the cloud, attracting DevOps talent is just the first step. They need to be valued by leadership by enabling them to focus on projects that add value, while eliminating manual and administrative tasks as much as possible. They also need clarity on their roles and responsibilities while being equipped with the right technology. 

Rajh Das, Head of International, Spot by NetApp said:

“Now that every organisation is a software business, DevOps is one of the most in demand roles, and competition to attract talent is fierce. Organisations need to the right environment to help DevOps teams succeed.

“The research findings are a helpful reminder that despite DevOps increasing importance, more work needs to be done to ensure that this resource is able to focus on the most valuable and enjoyable work. Continuous optimisation through automation is one of the answers to balancing the needs of leadership and the capacity of DevOps teams.”

With businesses willing to spend significant sums of money to attract and hire for these specialist job roles. Executives and recruiters mentally need to switch to nurturing the current DevOps talent that’s on offer and the creating an environment that will deliver more value of business and job satisfaction for the teams.