Attracting the right kind of talent and retaining your best IT employees can be critical for any CIO. Having the right team could make all the difference in how quickly you innovate and how effectively you make use of new and emerging technologies. There are a few things that I have found to work well to keep attrition low and attract a team of quality people.
For one, our focus on open source has had a significant impact on both recruiting efforts and retaining talent. The next generation of IT employees expects more than just money. At the end of the day, they want to have a passion for what they do and know they are contributing to the business. In the financial industry, where innovation is more conservative, working with open technologies enables a company to stand out and provide more opportunities for employees to engage in hands-on innovation.
Additionally, I find that my team is happiest when they feel included. I make sure to provide ample insight into how their projects are impacting the business at large. Letting new recruits as well as long-time employees in on the long-term vision of the organization, and giving them each their own path to succeed within this vision, is a great way to develop next-level talent within your team.
Finally, don't ignore the more obvious recruitment channels, but know that the technology market is getting extremely competitive. The talent coming out of universities is the best we have seen in the last 20 years. If you haven't considered it before, now may be the time to develop a strong internship or training program for these up and coming tech all stars.
Bottom line, it starts with the CIO. If a leader is passionate about the business, if they are engaged and they lead by example, they will inspire the right kind of talent to join their team. As the old adage says, if you love your job, then you won't have to work a day in your life. Or, in the CIO's case, if you love your job, you won't have to work too hard to recruit and retain talent.
