A new global study found that 40 percent of technology professionals expect to make at least three career changes during their working lives to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

The report, Innovating the Culture of Tomorrow, was commissioned by travel technology provider Amadeus and surveyed 2,200 technology professionals across eight major markets. Nearly all respondents (94%) believe their roles will require adaptation, with only 6 percent feeling their jobs would remain static. However, some 24 percent believe their current employers are not investing enough in the training needed to keep their skills relevant.

Training is as a crucial retention tool, with nearly half of respondents (48%) ranking it above other factors like reduced workload (24%) and improved work-life balance (36%). According to the study, a failure to provide focused training on emerging technologies – such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and cloud computing – could lead to higher attrition rates within the industry.

Innovation Over Salary in Employer Selection

The report also emphasised the value technology professionals place on innovation, which they ranked as the most important factor when selecting an employer, surpassing salary. Professionals at innovative organisations were over five times more likely to describe themselves as “very happy” at work (43%) compared to those at non-innovative companies (8%). Conversely, tech professionals at companies deemed non-innovative were four times more likely to consider leaving within the next year.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) was another key area of focus, with 79 percent of respondents indicating they want their employers to demonstrate strong DE&I credentials. AI engineers, in particular, placed significant importance on this issue, with 53 percent ranking it as “very important” – a figure 33 percent higher than the survey average.

Contrary to stereotypes about tech companies needing recreational features like ping pong tables, the report found that technology professionals value environments designed for effective collaboration and productivity. Essential elements included up-to-date technology (56%), proper physical tools and equipment (53%), quiet spaces (49%), and team collaboration areas (48%). Recreational amenities, such as on-site activities, were deemed far less critical, with only 31 percent of respondents considering them impactful.

Mental Health and Psychological Safety in the Tech Sector

The study also explored the importance of psychological safety. While 63 percent of respondents said they feel comfortable discussing their mental health at work, 17 percent indicated they would feel actively uncomfortable, and 20 percent were undecided. Additionally, 18 percent reported not feeling encouraged to be innovative at work, and 11 percent stated they lacked the freedom to experiment with ideas, regardless of the outcome.

Professor James Berry, Founder of the UCL MBA comments, “Today, the technology workforce spans at least four generations. Each one of these generations has experienced how quickly and dramatically things regarded as constant can change. Being within an innovative business or using the latest technologies promises tech professionals guaranteed progress and security in an otherwise insecure world.

“In the study, being perceived as innovative was so important, that the average technology professional said they would consider taking a 21% pay cut to work with the leading brand in their sector. Two key findings emerge – companies looking to attract first-class technology talent need to find ways to clearly communicate their innovation achievements, and employers looking to retain their talent need to invest in the training and development of their employees to be leaders in their fields.”

Employee Retention: Why It Matters

New research by Culture Amp, an employee experience platform, suggests that tech companies may be losing high-performing employees before they reach their peak potential. After analysing 462,000 employees across more than 1,500 companies, the study found that employees tend to deliver their highest levels of performance between two and six years in a role. However, the average job tenure in the tech industry is less than two years. This means that many employees are leaving their roles before reaching the high-performance phase.

Jessica Brannigan, regional director, EMEA People Science, Culture Amp, said, “Our analysis showed that two to six years in a job is the sweet spot for highest performance ratings. Given that job tenure at exit among tech industry employees averages under two years, employers that have invested so much in top hires could be seeing them leave just as they start to deliver on their potential.

“Our data show employees often need time to progress toward high performance and as companies evolve better processes and clearer performance expectations, it becomes easier for team leaders to categorise their direct reports as either high or low performers. However, companies can still do much to raise up employees that are meeting and even exceeding expectations toward that top performance tier, through their manager, recognition, and new opportunities to raise their hands.”