Do you ever feel like you’re running on a hamster wheel when it comes to retaining your ICT employees?  Does it seem like you finally reach the point of training them to your specifications, and then suddenly, they take off to join the first organization that offers them a bit more money or promises them a better work/life balance?

This scenario is a vivid reality for ICT organizations, especially small and medium-sized ones. The ageing population; the decrease in youth entering ICT post-secondary programs; the shortage of quality employees with the right mix of technical, business, and inter-personal skills; and, the increased mobility of ICT workers, have all contributed to the difficulties that ICT companies are having as they try to retain their staff. Unfortunately, the consequences can be quite serious, as losing a well-trained and experienced employee means a significant loss in expertise, customer relationships, and corporate memory.

When you figure out the expense to recruit and train a new employee, the cost of employee turnover can be two to three times the employees’ annual salary. Given that stark reality, does it not seem logical that this money might be better spent on programs and processes that help you to keep your employees happy and loyal?

If you answered “yes” to that question, you are correct! 

A good starting point to retaining your employees is to understand what they are looking for in a work environment.  Studies show that the main reasons that employees leave are:

• Job dissatisfaction or feeling undervalued and unappreciated for the work they do;
• A lack of challenging duties to utilize employees’ skills;
• A lack of confidence and respect for the organization, whether it is the internal corporate culture or the external image that it portrays;
• Dissatisfaction with co-workers and personality clashes within teams; and
• Inadequate compensation for the effort and time they put into their job.

Now is the time to be honest. What is your work environment really like? Have you recently asked your employees if they are happy? Are you afraid of what they might say?

Retaining your employees is the successful outcome of a good human resource strategy that prevents any element of dissatisfaction from corroding your employee’s happiness and loyalty. This strategy needs several important pieces, including:

Once  these programs and policies are in place, it is critical that supervisor’s “walk the talk” in their daily interactions with employees. All too often, good staff leave an organization simply because they do not get along with their supervisors! Therefore, take the time to ensure your supervisors:

• Are professional, courteous, friendly, and respectful to each employee
• Clarify the objectives and expectations of the employee
• Respect the cultural needs of each employee
• Offer individual and consistent feedback on employees’ work
• Listen to employees’ suggestions
• Celebrate employees’ successes and achievements
• Engage employees in the decision-making process

By genuinely demonstrating that you care about your employees’ wellbeing and happiness in the workplace, you are increasing your chances of building a tower of employee loyalty that will be difficult to topple over in any storm.

For access to more retention advice discussed in this article, go to the Information and Communication Technology Council website www.ictc-ctic.ca. Ask about their latest version of the Human Resources Management Guide, which will provide you with tips and tools to help you retain people - your most valuable resource. 

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.