Tough times for IT in recent years have generated a lot of disgruntled workers who have been secretly looking for new jobs for the past 12 months, experts caution. As employment opportunities start to pick up, it's a good idea to be on the lookout for clues that rival companies are trying to lure your talent away, reports Carolyn Duffy Marsan at NetworkWorld.

"Employers have to be very vigilant in looking for signs that they are being poached," says Alice Hill, managing director of Dice.com.

Silicon Valley, New York City and Dallas are the most obvious areas for tech pro poaching. Newly funded startups are looking for help creating the next big thing, and they'll be recruiting from the ranks of larger companies, Hill warns. If your company has struggled financially, your staff is probably highly susceptible to these recruiting tactics because they probably are feeling unappreciated and stuck, says Kathy Harris, managing director of the IT executive search company Harris Allied.

Once a good employee or two has been poached, conditions are ripe for more to follow, according to Harris. The uptick in hiring won't necessarily mean that salaries are going to start rising, however. Other incentives, such as flexible schedules and training opportunities, can entice good workers to new jobs. By the same token, these perks can be offered as part of an employee retention strategy as well.

Here are five clues that your staff may be job hunting:

• They're dressing more formally than usual, and they're taking half days off;
• They're bringing their expense accounts up-to-date;
• They're busy on LinkedIn;
• They're posting their resumes on job sites; and
• They're saying not-so-nice things about the company on Twitter or Facebook.

For more:
- see Carolyn Duffy Marsan's article at NetworkWorld

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