Measuring a software engineer’s efficiency in development is something that has generated debate over the years. Many find it a strenuous task since there were no fixed metrics with this subjective concern. Git Analytics tools, such as Waydev, Gitprime (Pluralsight Flow), and Code Climate close the gap by providing reliable metrics for engineering leaders, reinventing the way engineers’ output is tracked to help engineering managers make objective decisions.

The team looked at how teams work and created features for each use-case. The product provides complete visibility over teams’ output, so engineers don’t have to worry about their daily stand-ups. Engineering managers can now zoom in on any commit or pull request to see where the work focus went, eliminate blockers, and use data to increase engineer effectiveness.

First of all, it is important to measure productivity to praise the engineers for their work and advocate for their contribution to the team. Giving work compensation can boost productivity, which is always expected from a manager. Moreover, this increases the confidence of the engineer and polishes his skill because it acts as feedback to him, which he can use to improve his work. Lastly, the analyzed work of an engineer reflects upon its team. If an engineer who is expected to create high-quality output gets a high rating, then this can lead to an increase in the overall quality of the team. Such an individual doesn’t just open new avenues for himself but also for his team.

So, it is important to measure the individual productivity we all agree on, but what areas of this productivity requires measurement? A few skill sets need to be analyzed to complete productivity measurement:

1. Coding skill

Coding is the essential skill required of a software engineer. This makes it a good criterion to measure an individual’s productivity.

2. Peer analysis and reviews

Peer reviews and reviewing the code created by the colleagues is significant to the work of a software engineer. This will not only help him grow his skill but also let him understand different levels of software engineering where other’s faults may help him broaden his horizon. Analyzing a peer’s code and leaving honest comments can show the involvement of the engineer in the teamwork, and this is what needs to be analyzed.

Waydev provides an overview of the code review workflow along with code collaboration metrics – metrics that used to be impossible to quantify in the past.

3. Troubleshooting

A software engineer needs to be troubleshooting and debugging the complex issues that arise during either the coding process. The manager must keep an eye on this aspect if he wants to measure engineering productivity.

4. Improving the work system

Software engineers’ work does not revolve solely around making new, high-end products for the clients, but it also means that the system he is working with gets improved through his efforts. This could be another marking criterion for the manager.

5. Grip over solving issues

Expertise and involvement are vital to solving software issues. So, this is what makes a good software engineer stand apart. Waydev provides clear visibility over your engineers’ output using the Work Log. You can gain a bird’s-eye view over engineers’ activity.

6. Task completion

Task completion is concerned with how religiously an engineer works and how good he is at listening to directions of his managers and colleagues. This factor contributes to the making of a good software engineer.

7. Teamwork

Obviously, teamwork plays a pivotal role in a software engineer’s productivity and all the more contributes positively towards it.

8. Independent mindset

Productivity is also the measure of the ability of the engineer to work independently in challenging environments. It helps in figuring out where the engineer stands in a team.

9. Open-minded

Last but not least, the measure of productivity should also be based upon the ability of a person to take constructive criticism. Waydev lets the data tell the story, enabling you to compare engineers’ performance, see where their work focus goes to, and zoom into their commits.

A question of how these skills may be measured as part of the manager’s analysis appears. There are a few things the manager can do. It should be kept in mind that measuring engineering productivity is very important as it sets goals and also tells the engineer where the work is required by giving them feedback.

Git Analytics tools, such as Waydev, will enable the engineers to focus on the production of quality code, and engineering management to direct their attention to make data-driven decisions. Moreover, productivity shows how resources are utilized to gain a competitive advantage and increase profit for the company, along with retaining top talent in the company.