As a strategic partner in a company's day-to-day operations, HR needs to
understand what drives information technology employee turnover and what
can be done to slow it down. That there are 190,000 IT job openings in the
U.S. but only seven candidates for every 10 positions makes the retention
problem even more vexing.
The main reason IT professionals leave a job is to seek more career
development and more enjoyment in work, including being assigned more
"interesting" projects, according to HayGroup consultants, which surveyed
IT professionals who left their positions within the previous 12 months.
In fact, a January study from Linkage HR consultants revealed that more
than 40 percent of respondents would consider job-hopping to the same
position elsewhere even for the same pay and benefits if career
development and greater challenges were part of the bargain.
Both younger and older workers put career development high on the list of
attractions. Enjoyment of work is an important factor particularly for
workers under 30, which contradicts conventional wisdom that Gen-Xers are
solely concerned with benefits such as vacation, time off and flexibility.
The reasons cited for leaving by more than 50 percent of IT professionals
fall mostly into five main categories:
1. Career opportunity
2. Enjoyment of the work
3. Reward
4. Leadership
5. Availability of technology
Little enthusiasm for managing
The Hay survey also reveals that two-thirds of non-management IT
professionals report "not being able to get ahead without becoming
managers" as a main reason for leaving. One way HR can help sidestep this
problem is by developing alternate career paths that allow high-tech
workers to advance in ways other than becoming people managers--for
example, through such non-management paths as leading goal-specific
projects.
According to Vince Milich of Hay's IT effectiveness practice, "It is
surprising that technology companies are still not effectively addressing
one of the key issues that causes people to change their jobs. With just a
little time and investment, career development can become a beneficial
part of a company's overall retention strategy." Milich suggests that
improving retention requires taking the pulse of the workforce much more
often and implementing programs that specifically and enthusiastically
address employees' concerns--"especially in the areas of career
advancement, enjoyment of work and reward."
More info: IT professionals who worked at mid- and large-sized
IT companies and are currently employed by large tech and industrial
firms were surveyed. The study was prepared in conjunctions with
the University of Houston's College of Business Administration's
Information Research Center.
Online: http://www.haygroup.com
This article is from hr-esource.com, an online publication of WEST
Group, a Thomson Company. www.hr-esource.com
