staff retention

Ways to keep the best IT talent

Judi Hasson — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:59:12 -0400

Good managers know how to feed and care for their best workers, making them happy and offering them challenges and opportunities to grow. "The best employees are being recruited at any given time," Paul De Young of the global consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc. told CIO.com. "Managers need to make that assumption and create an environment that's going to make them want to stay."

The publication consulted some experts, and has offered advice for CIOs seeking to hold onto their top talent. For starters, create a culture that gives programmers and developers an opportunity to be creative. Second, don't micro-manage the staff. Instead, empower people, solicit suggestions and accept honest feedback. The experts caution against changing the work environment without considering the impact on employees. And of course there are also some other very basic tips for insure IT staff retention: increased compensation, professional development and training, and flexible schedule options.

For more on keeping your IT talent happy:
- see this CIO.com article

Need to keep your staff happy? Try money

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:59:56 -0400

In tough times and good ones, money talks. A recent survey by Robert Half Technology found that more than a quarter of 1,400 CIOs surveyed say that increasing a person's salary is the most effective way to improve staff morale and retention. Money is always quick and easy bait to keep valued staff from leaving. It may sound easy, but it's getting tougher as times get tighter.

For more on this balancing act:
- See this InformationWeek article

Keeping employees happy

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:01:39 -0400

It's almost always better to keep talented IT on staff by whatever means possible--money and perks, for example--than going through the recruiting, hiring and training process from scratch. But that's not the only way to keep employees happy. These methods are less important than challenging work, recognition by superiors and peers, as well as community and balance with family and social life. Make talent development a top priority and create a value proposition by asking why a talented person would want to work at your company. A well-developed employee value proposition will appeal to the people an enterprise wants to attract by reinforcing organizational culture and brand, inspiring values, creating a sense of belonging and shaping every aspect of business behavior.

Learn more about retaining good employees:
- read the article at MIS Magazine

Related articles:
- read this on preventing employee turnover
- read this on the value of accolades for staff retention
- read this on staff retention without overspending

Preventing employee turnover

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:01:36 -0400

Increased demand is leading to a real shortage in IT personnel. That means CIOs have to work harder than ever to retain good employees. The first step is instituting a program aimed at preventing employee turnover. An effective program includes examining your company's compensation structure and determining whether you're underpaying key employees. Financial incentives, such as salary, spot bonuses an financial awards based on performance are powerful motivators to stay put. But money isn't everything. A good plan also includes enhancing the work environment by providing training or professional development and offering flexible schedules. Also, try to make sure your top performers have interesting and challenging projects, which keep them motivated.

For more about retaining valuable employees:
- read the article at Optimize

Related Articles
The value of accolades for staff retention. Report
Staff retention without overspending. Report

How to keep talent from jumping ship

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:01:35 -0500

Consider the fact that for every baby-boomer retiree there is just one college grad to step in and you get the clear picture of how hard finding good tech talent will be in just a few short years. That's why one expert is advising IT leaders to start building and expanding on employee retention programs. You've got to have determination, provide a challenging work environment, open up lots of career opportunities and be as good a mentor as you are a leader. That's just four of the seven ways to keep talent in house and innovating.

For more on staff retention:
- read the column at CIO

ALSO NOTED: While phishing attacks are down, losses are increasing; How technology plays into getting and keeping, customers; a

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:01:33 -0500

> While phishing attacks are down, losses are on the rise. Article

> How technology plays into getting and keeping, customers. Article

> Laptop makers jump ahead of final wireless spec with new products. Article

> Some unique staff retention strategies. Article

> Another reason that smartphones will grab business users. Article

And Finally... An auction to name a new Florida reef. Article