Burnout Syndrome of Software Developers in Agile Development

Abstract

The risk of burnout syndrome is increasingly high and affects many software developers in agile development. This syndrome manifests itself in fatigue, reduced performance, lack of motivation, loss of interest in work and inability to focus effectively on tasks. Software developers work primarily in agile development, which is a very demanding process requiriyng constant adaptability, communication and collaboration with other team members. The combination of demanding work and lack of rest can lead to increased stress, anxiety and depression, which can lead to burnout syndrome.

To avoid burnout syndrome, it is important that developers have plenty of support from their team and supervisors. It is also important to be able to manage their time by themselves and have enough time to rest and recover. Communication and collaboration with other team members is also key to minimize stress and anxiety and to help developers feel in control of their work. Developers should also regularly reflect on their work and think about how they can improve their working conditions and prevent burnout syndrome.

By using the Agile approach and the Scrum method, it is possible to detect the possibility of causality leading to burnout syndrome by measuring Story points over time. Because of the use of short iterations in the Scrum method, it is possible to highlight factors leading to burnout syndrome early on and thus reduce the risk of jeopardizing project work.

The paper was published in the proceedings of the XVth Professional Conference of Doctoral Studies in Forensic Engineering, Junior Forensic Science (JuFoS), 18–19 May 2023 in Brno.