Are Your IT Employees Thinking of Leaving?
The bane of most IT managers is attrition. Losing IT professionals hits a company hard, especially because the information technology industry in the US has far too few IT contractors and far too many IT jobs. How can managers make sure they don’t lose valuable employees? Pay attention to these important signs of unhappy IT contractors who may be circulating their resumes.
Firstly, an unhappy employee starts to take more time out of work without much, or with vague, explanations. This time is usually for meeting with recruiters and doing interviews with other IT companies. However, taking time off from work frequently isn’t enough of a sign on its own. There could be a health issue, etc.
A second sign is an employee taking a lot of personal calls at work and seeking a private area to speak. Some personal calls are not abnormal, but a lot of personal calls might be a sign of recruiters or hiring managers reaching out.
Lastly, it’s worth noting when an employee becomes less enthusiastic, both socially and in regards to their work. If they no longer leap for new assignments or join their colleagues for lunch, it’s a sign they’re probably checking out mentally.
Why Doing Favors are Key to Succeeding in Your IT Job
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in—from information technology to fashion to publishing, making sure you get your priorities taken care of by your reports and coworkers is hardly ever an easy task. How can IT recruiters, IT contractors, and IT managers all make sure they get the help they need on their most valued projects? It starts by setting a standard of teamwork—in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
When IT headhunters and IT consultants readily offer to help out, or respond to requests for help, from their coworkers, they set the stage for getting help in the future. These favors don’t have to be huge. Sometimes a small, unexpected favor will go pretty far just because it’s unexpected.
There’s a second, very important step to this process, though: Saying out loud after completing these favors, ‘No problem, I’m sure you’d do the same for me.’ The sentence will really drive home the message of teamwork. Coupled with the action of doing that favor for somebody, this step will set the stage to make it easy to ask for future favors from coworkers and reports.
Why a Bad Culture Fit Can Cost A Lot in IT
Good IT recruiters focus on making sure IT consultants are a great fit for IT jobs in terms of the skills on their resumes and in terms of personality. This isn’t just for the comfort of the IT managers these IT staffing companies work for, it’s for the productivity of the company itself! Recent studies show that the companies that really invest in their IT professionals and make them feel appreciated see that investment pay back in spades.
Why is this true? To some extent, the answer is pretty intuitive. IT contractors who feel appreciated by their companies also feel a sense of loyalty to them and have an interest in seeing them succeed. This is partially selfish, as somebody who likes their job, managers, coworkers, etc will want to stay in the same spot. Making sure the company does well makes this possible. It’s also easier to be productive when you’re relaxed, calm, and happy. Whatever the main reason, it’s clear that a good culture fit is really beneficial financially.