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By Judy Mottl
Good tech talent is always in demand, even when companies are challenged by a staggering economic recession that has propelled cost cutting through layoffs, salary freezes and benefit reductions for the last several years.
So it’s not too surprising to find staff retention cited as a top priority for 43 percent of CIOs going into the New Year, according to a study by Robert Half Technology (RHT). The national survey polled 1,400 CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees.
The questions, though, are how can IT leaders keep their best and brightest without breaking budget lines and what retention strategies are necessary before high staff turnover impacts IT efforts. As Dave Willmer, RHT executive director, explains IT leaders face a paradox scenario given the budget climate. There’s less money to spend yet tech teams have increasing workloads as companies are now moving forward on projects that had been on hold due to cost constraints.
“Employers have to focus on preventing burnout and keeping their best people engaged and it’s a challenge given staffing cuts that may have left many employees feeling overworked and undervalued,” said Willmer.
One key strategy is bringing what Willmer calls ‘re-recruiting’ into play. Simply, tech leaders have to start paying attention to good staff before the work environment prompts them to start looking elsewhere.
“It’s essentially ‘selling’ your organization to your staff in much the same way you would to prospective new hires,” Willmer told CIOZone.com. Tech leaders who take time to ensure top performers are satisfied in their roles, and who work to address any concerns, can help avoid the costly turnover scenario. “It’s an effective part of a retention strategy because it can prevent surprises or sudden departures,” added Willmer, and such departures can seriously impinge on IT initiatives.
A second strategy involves not being lulled into a comfort zone of believing top staffers can’t go elsewhere due to the economy. While employees may not actively be looking for a new job, they very likely will once opportunities start cropping up in the market.
That’s why managers need to take a proactive retention approach, said Willmer. “Finding candidates who not only have solid technical expertise in certain areas, but who also possess strong communication skills and business savvy, is a challenge. When the job market improves, employers will be going after a smaller pool of highly skilled professionals and raising the stakes to attract the best ones,” he explained.
Oftentimes companies jump on retention efforts when they’re already seeing people leave. By taking a proactive approach, IT leaders can avoid losing talent that will be hard to replace once job opportunities open up. Willmer offered up several cost-effective tips for retaining staff. At the top of the list are training and career advancement opportunities, work contribution recognition and, of course, compensation. Yet the new RHT survey notes that just one in five CIOs are planning to offer more training and professional development next year. That trend is not going to bode well with employees as 61 percent surveyed in a different study by Robert Half International and Career Builder expect better training and enhanced tuition programs.
“These findings suggest employees want to continue learning and advancing within their company,” said Willmer, adding that offering such programs can be an economical approach when compensation boosts aren’t an option. Offering educational and skill building doesn’t have to cost much, according to Willmer. For example IT leaders can build a ‘lunch and learn’ program that brings external professionals, and their knowledge, to employees with little cost to the bottom line.
Simple strategies like that, and corporate employee recognition programs, which don’t cost much at all, are key retention efforts.
“Saying thank you for a job well done or recognizing employees in front of their peers also can go a long way, and it doesn’t cost anything,” said Willmer.
So compliment your employees on a job well done, it will go a long way to motivate them to continually grow and improve in their IT role.
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