Among the challenges facing CIOs is the ability to hold on to top IT pros. Of course they want to make more money, have a good work-life balance and a flexible work schedule, but IT pros also want job fulfillment and the ability to advance their careers. I’ve read some advice offered by different CIOs and recruiters and think there is no time like the present to rethink how things work in your organization.
Here is some of the best advice I've found that goes beyond salary increases and flexible hours:
- Seek input and include people in the decision-making process. Set up times to bring small groups of key people together to share ideas and offer suggestions with management.
- Make sure to keep your star workers engaged. Recognize efforts early and reward them.
- Let workers know what the end goal is or the challenge that needs to be resolved, and let them come up with possible solutions — don’t micromanage.
- Nurture new talent and don’t just delegate to line managers. If you recognize that someone has high potential over the long term and you want them to stay, make sure senior management develops that talent. Otherwise they are offered narrow development opportunities that are limited by the business unit they are assigned. Sometimes talented employees are also hoarded by line managers.
These may sound like logical, common sense tips, but with such a laser focus on keeping IT strategic to the business, I wonder how often they are actually implemented.
What are some others that you have found to be particularly effective that aren’t mentioned here?