Four rules for keeping IT pros from . . .

Four rules for keeping IT pros from “Flying the Coop”

Two new surveys are indicating that 2017 will be a challenging year when it comes to attracting new IT talent.

One big reason: chief information officers are battening down the hatches when it comes to talent loss — doing everything they can to keep the IT pros they’ve hired from getting away.

As a result, just one in six chief information officers in the United States is planning to hire additional tech talent in the first six months of this year. That’s a considerable drop from the past two six-month periods.

So what can you do to make sure you’re keeping your IT gurus from flying the coop?

Pay up

No one likes to hear this, but it’s a fact of life: If your organization doesn’t pay competitively, it’s going to lose talent. Don’t rely on your talent to tell you — most people find it easier to look for another job than to ask for a raise. That’s why it’s important to stay abreast of wage trends.

Don’t assume pay is everything

OK, so you’re paying competitively. Does that mean your IT talent isn’t looking around? Not at all. Today’s gross compensation isn’t just the combined value of salaries and benefits, but also the value of a supportive work environment, flexible hours, vacation and work that makes people excited to wake up in the morning.

Be proactive

The time it took to fill open positions in 2016 lengthened from the year before. One big reason is that too many tech managers treat hiring as something reactive — only looking for talent when a position becomes available. It’s vital to have an active approach to relationship building year-round.

Get help

Don’t know how much to pay? Don’t have time to keep up on trends in the IT benefits environment? Don’t have the resources to be developing an IT talent pipeline all the time? Well, don’t feel too bad — these are common problems. And that’s what Smith Johnson Group is here for.