Managers in IT know one thing for certain: it’s getting harder and harder to find and keep talent. As the New Year approaches, use this budget-friendly guide to help you spark the fires of engagement and establish lasting loyalty in your tech department.
Get Flexible
Tech employees are under a great deal of pressure. They are often the first team members in the door each day and the last to leave. Add on-call hours and emergencies, and it’s easy for an IT pro to log a 60-plus hour workweek. Remote work is now more possible than ever, and employers who want to improve IT team morale should consider building in a bit of flexibility to prevent burnout.
Consider options such as floating schedules where individuals can work any eight-hour shift between 7 am and 6 pm, which can ease strain on employees who have families or who have monster commutes. You might offer a weekly or monthly work-from home day, or partial job sharing. These days, when smartphones make it nearly impossible to escape work, a little bit of flexibility can go a long way towards improving job satisfaction.
Re-Examine Your Pay Structure
PayScale’s 2015 Compensation Best Practices Report revealed that the single most common reason why tech employees left their job in 2014 was salary. IT skills are in high demand and if an employee feels they aren’t getting paid what they’re worth, they’ll move on to a company that offers higher salaries and bonuses.
Higher pay doesn’t have to mean higher costs, however. If you notice that your IT department is a revolving door of employees, you’re spending more than you think. Offering higher salaries can keep people in their positions longer, and reduce the long-term costs of constant turnover.
Allow The Team To Unplug
When someone on your tech team takes a vacation, how often are they answering emails or fielding “emergency” calls from the office? Everyone needs time to recharge their batteries, and employees shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for taking time off. In fact, unplugging should be encouraged.
Instill a policy where paid time off means just that: Time off. Assign backups for each team member, and insist that everyone use their out-of-office auto responder when they take personal days. Some managers insist that employees leave their company-issued technology in the office during vacation to encourage disconnection. Your team will thank you for the chance to truly rest and refocus.
If your company is struggling to find and keep top tech talent, you can instantly improve hiring for better recruitment and retention by partnering with the experts at Contemporary Staffing Solutions. As a market leader in tech recruiting, we can connect you with the people and processes that will make a positive impact on your bottom line in 2016 and beyond. Email us today to start the conversation.