Stephen
Ibaraki
A few months back,
Stephen Ibaraki, I.S.P., had an exclusive
interview with Katherine Spencer Lee, executive
director of Robert Half Technology and Stephen
Mill, regional manager for Robert Half
Technology[1].
A graduate of Northern
Arizona University, Ms. Lee has been with the
company since 1995 and has more than 15 years of
experience in information technology consulting
services. Ms. Lee is a spokesperson, author of
industry articles and frequent public speaker on
IT staffing.
In her role as a
nationally recognized authority on IT careers,
Ms. Lee has guest hosted several live events on
web sites such as Monster.com, Techtarget.com
and CareerPath.com. In addition, she is
currently providing career insight and advice to
Network Computing and Certification
Magazine readers.
Mr. Mill's area of
responsibility currently includes managing the
daily operations of the firm's Canadian offices.
Stephen has spent the past seven years at the
specialized staffing firm where he has
experienced all phases of the IT job market
cycle first-hand.
With more than 100
locations in North America and Europe, Robert
Half Technology is a leading provider of IT
professionals for initiatives ranging from web
development and multiplatform systems
integration to
network engineering and technical support.
Robert Half Technology offers online job search
services at
www.roberthalftechnology.com.
Q: Detail the techniques
that businesses can employ to keep valued
employees.
A: (Katherine Spencer
Lee) Firms should
be focused on retaining their best employees in
any employment market. The most successful
companies think about employee morale and
retention issues all the time -- not just in a
hot hiring market. When the economy does pick up
and the job market offers more options, staff
who have been overworked and not recognized may
seek employment elsewhere.
Companies that show
consideration to employees during economically
challenging times create a more loyal and
productive workforce. As a result, they’ll have
a competitive advantage as the economy rebounds.
Even in down economies
when budgets may be extremely tight, there are a
number of low- or no-cost practices employers
can employ to keep their staffs happy.
The following are
examples of everyday, low-cost retention
practices that we recommend to our clients:
Encourage balance.
Make sure employees take breaks throughout the
day and use their vacation time to avoid
burnout.
Be realistic.
Tasks and deadlines should be achievable.
Evaluate whether staff members have the
necessary skills for upcoming projects; offer
training as needed.
Share the vision.
When assigning tasks, explain how they support
larger business objectives. Employees should
organize their activities based on these
priorities.
Solicit ideas. Ask
staff members to brainstorm creative ways to
solve everyday challenges. Having a say in the
outcome of a project motivates employees to do
their best work.
Bring in support.
When full-time employees are at capacity,
consider bringing in professionals on a project
basis to augment their efforts.
Recognize value.
Thank them for their work, and acknowledge their
contributions. This doesn’t have to cost a lot
of money -- recognizing accomplishments at staff
meetings and providing small rewards like movie
tickets or a gift certificate let staff members
know they are valued.
Develop leaders.
When people perceive that there’s room for
them to grow and advance at a company, they’ll
stay longer. Provide challenging assignments and
leadership opportunities so they can broaden
their skills and make meaningful contributions.
Offer a formal mentoring program to help you
identify and groom workers at all levels.
A: (Stephen Mill) It’s
valuable to take time to recognize your
employees’ achievements. Show your staff you
care through day-to-day praise and recognition.
Don’t forget simple courtesies. “Good morning”
and “thank you,” a note of appreciation or kind
words during a meeting can go a long way. Other
ways to show employees you value their
contributions include initiating social
activities for staff, giving cards or small
gifts for special occasions, providing personal
or public recognition for a job well done,
offering tickets to local sporting events and
shows, providing free coffee and snacks, and
occasional meals, as appropriate. These are only
a few techniques.
Employee empowerment, fostering teamwork and
regular performance appraisals also go a long
way in helping keep your top talent.
Q: And IT professionals,
what can they do to stay employed? From their
perspective, what is the hiring environment
today and where do you see it going in the
future; what strategies can they use to obtain
meaningful employment? What qualities are
companies looking for in candidates and how can
candidates effectively prove that these
qualities exist in themselves? Do you see a
change from the past to the present and into the
future?
A: (Katherine Spencer
Lee) Information technology cost-cutting efforts
and widespread staff reductions seem to be
easing, and employers are cautiously optimistic.
As companies
execute new initiatives to remain competitive
and prepare for future business growth, the
long-term hiring outlook appears stronger.
In fact, technology
investments initiated during the Internet boom
of the late nineties are nearing, or have
reached the end of their product life cycles and
will require updates soon. A number of firms are
moving forward with systems upgrades that were
previously on hold, particularly those designed
to enhance customer service or achieve greater
operational efficiencies.
Technology spending --
and subsequently hiring -- is currently focused
on initiatives that provide an immediate return
on investment.
Network security concerns also continue to be a
priority for businesses of all sizes. There is
strong demand for IT professionals who can
manage everything from assessing potential
network vulnerabilities to integrating virus
protection, intrusion detection and other
components into an enterprise-wide security
strategy.
Firms currently hiring
technology staff are taking a very thorough
approach to evaluating candidates, requiring
prospective candidates to meet all job
specifications before arranging an interview.
Managers are carefully reviewing their hiring
profiles to ensure new staff members will be
able to make immediate contributions. To provide
needed flexibility in managing human resources,
businesses are also bringing in specialists on a
project basis who can assist with expanded
workloads.
While technical
certifications can also influence the hiring
decision, managers are applying even more weight
to a chronicled history of successes. Firms want
to see how candidates have contributed to
previous organizations and how they can transfer
these achievements and add value in a new
environment. Hiring managers seek those
individuals who are able to tie a firm’s
technical capabilities to its business needs.
A: (Stephen Mill)
No contractor
would begin building a house without at least a
rudimentary plan. Likewise, something as
important as a career in IT shouldn’t be pursued
without a well-thought-out strategy --
especially given the rapid pace of change in
business today. Everything from the introduction
of new technologies to company expansion can
have a direct impact on your job and your
career. This makes it all the more
important to develop a long-term career
strategy. Be sure to share your professional
goals with your supervisor. Be clear about your
expectations for advancement and understand what
you need to do to get where you want to be.
A key trend is the
growing importance of soft skills in the
workplace -- that is, the ability to
communicate, listen and work collaboratively,
including departments outside of IT. While
logically it would seem that technology has
allowed us to work more independently with less
need for soft skills, the opposite is actually
true. In a survey commissioned by our firm, 77
percent of chief information officers polled
said the increased use of technology will
require workers to communicate more effectively
and accurately in coming years. The reason?
Think e-mail, voice mail and teleconferences.
With information
technology accelerating the frequency of
communication, any deficiencies in diplomacy,
negotiation, and oral and written skills are
increasingly obvious to others.
[1] Robert Half Technology is a
leading provider of information
technology (IT) professionals on a
project or full-time basis.
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