IT talent crunch: Myth or reality?

Network/Systems Management This newsletter is sponsored by Fluke Networks NetFlow Tracker free 7-day Trial Software - Real-time monitoring of NetFlow and IPFIX data for visibility and troubleshooting NetFlow Tracker is a software-only solution that uses Cisco IOS NetFlow and IPFIX information for in-depth LAN/WAN and application troubleshooting, trend analysis and capacity planning. This real-time monitoring of NetFlow and IPFIX data allows network managers to have the detailed information necessary to identify, isolate and troubleshoot network performance issues. Network World's Network/Systems Management Newsletter, 10/17/07 IT talent crunch: Myth or reality? By Denise Dubie Covering IT management technologies often leads to discussions around IT managers' concerns, ranging from technology to processes to people. This year there has been much talk about the last piece of the IT manager trifecta: people. Many industry watchers and IT managers alike are foreseeing a drop in available IT talent due to fewer technical graduates entering the market and more veteran IT employees reaching retirement age (being in the baby boomer generation).  The Society for Information Management argues that IT employee turnover rates are low, less than 10%, when in years past IT managers could see numbers closer to 20%. Still the industry organization reported last week that attracting, developing and retaining IT workers is IT manager's top worry in 2007. And when polled informally by me, a majority of respondents agreed that keeping tech talent in-house is the biggest concern of IT managers. Executive Guide: Stay ahead of the data growth curve Get real-world advice on how to best deal with the explosion of data across nearly every enterprise today. This informative executive guide offers IT professionals detailed information on new technologies such as ILM and FANs, specific pitfalls to avoid when deploying ILM, as well as solid case studies. Download This Executive Guide Here Ron Uno, manager of Information Management at Kuakini Health System in Honolulu shares his challenges with finding and keeping IT talent in house. Do you worry about getting IT talent in house? Is this a concern for you? Why? This is my No. 1 worry. I have had some key staff leave the organization recently and have been searching for replacement staff for the last several months. To be honest it is very 'slim' pickings out there, there is no one. Since the labor market is down, there are very little applicants and the applicants that I do get are not even qualified for the position based on the job description for the position and based on my assessment when I review the job application or perform an interview. Being on an island state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this matter is even worse, the workforce population is static. Has it become a bigger concern over the years? How so? Yes it has. We have more and more projects that are being put on us to keep up with the ever-changing technologies and with the computer applications within the organization. With applications specialists staff being so hard to come by, the deployment of the new or upgrading of new technologies and computer applications are being delayed -- resulting in project cost overruns and project 'spread.' What measures do you take to attract top talent? My hands are pretty tied. I am bound by the rules and regulations of the organization. Salary levels here on the islands are no where close to the salary levels on the U.S. mainland. So, I need to make other provisions internal to my area of responsibility to keep the talent interested and happy in the organization. Some of the talent are by word of mouth, meaning my contacts with other IT folks in town. How do you work to keep IT talent happy once you hire them? I try to involve them as much as I can in the project planning phase, so they know and understand the project from the ground up. This makes it a lot easier to do a project, if you know the history. I also try to give them as much freedom as possible to perform their jobs, meaning letting them make decisions that are relevant to the project and still strictly adhering to departmental and organizational policies and procedures. My approach to staff is not to 'smother' them, but to let them think for themselves. They are all adults and should know what is right and wrong. I also inform them when they are doing a good job, I think this is very important for their personal self-esteem and hopefully will make them happy to be here. What other issues top your list of concerns? One other big issue, obviously is that, even if I perform the above to the fullest, the staff may still not be satisfied with the position. So the process starts all over again. What's your take? Are you finding the talent pool dwindling? Or do you feel that the issue is being overhyped? Log on to our community page on the topic of finding and retaining IT talent and share your thoughts (anonymously if you prefer) or e-mail me.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

MOST-READ STORIES: 1. Top 10 strategic technologies for 2008 2. Security companies to watch 3. Salary survey: IT pay falls short 4. Funniest Microsoft videos on YouTube 5. 'Networkiest' horror films 6. Google GPhones or GPhonies? 7. Quantum cryptography to secure ballots 8. Is Apple more controlling than Microsoft? 9. Oracle's 10 acquisitions in 2007 10. Would BEA disappear under Oracle? MOST E-MAILED STORY: Top 10 strategic technologies for 2008

Contact the author: Senior Editor Denise Dubie covers the technologies, products and services that address network, systems, application and IT service management for Network World. E-mail Denise. This newsletter is sponsored by Fluke Networks NetFlow Tracker free 7-day Trial Software - Real-time monitoring of NetFlow and IPFIX data for visibility and troubleshooting NetFlow Tracker is a software-only solution that uses Cisco IOS NetFlow and IPFIX information for in-depth LAN/WAN and application troubleshooting, trend analysis and capacity planning. This real-time monitoring of NetFlow and IPFIX data allows network managers to have the detailed information necessary to identify, isolate and troubleshoot network performance issues. ARCHIVE Archive of the Network/Systems Management Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007