[muzani]

A lot of it is company culture. Does the boss agree to unreasonable deadlines with the client or marketing team? How many people on the team are jerks? How many are lazy or unmotivated? Is there enough respect for the boss?

Is the company fair? Do they prevent you from taking sick leave when you are sick? Do they pay a little less than they hinted? Do they compensate you for travel time if the office is in an inaccessible area?

Is the company an exciting place? Do you feel good, feel proud of being part of the company? Does the company do things that you're embarrassed of? Are the projects meaningful?

[beatgammit]

From my experience, this is another big one:

Does management trust its developers?

Developer jobs are in high demand, so a good employee isn't going to stick around if management doesn't show that they trust them. Some evidence of a lack trust:

- strict deadlines unrelated to customer needs - very detailed and strict reporting - frequent meetings to discuss progress on milestones - strict work hours - limited "work at home" opportunities

Developers like to get in control of their codebases, so non-technical management stepping in too often can kill productivity and this job satisfaction, which can lead developers to look elsewhere.

[cakes]

Generally what parent says and to add: Does the company have a good/stable/solid vision/strategy? Do you believe it is/can execute on it?