The biggest business challenge this year will be recruiting developers with the right skills, according to more than half (53%) of software developers and IT professionals in a new survey by Reveal.

Eight of Glassdoor’s top 10 best jobs are in the software industry, yet filling those positions with qualified developers is no easy task. The pandemic highlighted one of the most crucial challenges facing the software industry — the need for more professional software developers. Not only are there not enough developers to meet demand, but those who are available may lack the necessary software development skills for popular frameworks.

About half of the survey respondents plan to address developer shortages by using low-code/no-code (app builder) tools, design-to-code platforms and other software that will work for citizen developers.

Other major difficulties include struggles maintaining current talent (46%) and not enough time to get work done (31%). More than a third (40%) of software industry professionals are facing increased customer demands and 39% are working with limited resources (such as a lack of budget and inability to maintain software).

The survey also found that business intelligence and data analytics tools are burgeoning due to their ability to solve problems and drive the decision-making process, with 71% percent of software developers expecting their focus on business intelligence to increase and 45% of respondents planning to use embedded analytics in 2022. 

The most successful companies are embracing remote work and developing strategies that enhance collaboration and productivity. This move toward new solutions that streamline apps, which combine multiple capabilities into one place, is evidenced by the 54% of survey respondents who plan to save money in 2022 by incorporating a digital workplace platform.

With new digital workplace tools, the less time people will spend app-switching and the more time they’ll spend being productive. In today’s tight job market, organizations are turning to platforms that can address skills gaps, solve problems and save money as these innovations can help meet the demand for building applications faster and with fewer resources.

Read the full report by Reveal.