EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

Senior technicians and engineers are tending to remain in their existing positions where they have established themselves and embraced the culture of their organization . In saying that , replacements for senior technical staff are extremely difficult to find when they are lost . At the same time , more junior staff are taking advantage of opportunities to jump ship and take up roles at other companies , usually drawn by the prospect of a salary increase .

For CIOs in the managed IT services space , this means attracting and retaining younger , more junior staff has become quite a challenge . With more vacancies than candidates to fill them , it is very much an employeedriven market .

CIOs also need to think about the career development opportunities they are offering to younger staff members .

It is also important for CIOs to ensure their organization is offering a flexible work environment for all employees . The COVID-19 disruptions have made working from home a natural part of business life and most staff are keen for this to continue .

Working remotely full time is often not practical , however a structure where staff spend three days each week in the office and two at home is working well for many organizations . This also ensures staff can work alongside each other on a regular basis which promotes knowledge transfer and camaraderie .

A key way to overcome this is through the communication of company culture . Prospective employees want to find a place where their efforts will be appreciated and they will actively be able to make a difference . Salaries will always be important however organizational culture also ranks very highly .

CIOs also need to think about the career development opportunities they are offering to younger staff members . Those joining will want to be able to see a clear progression path that will enable them to expand their skills and assume more senior roles over time .

CIOs may also have to rethink rosters , especially when it comes to covering 24 / 7 service requirements . Rather than forcing staff into working within these constraints , additional resources can be sourced from overseas markets and added to the local mix .

The challenge of recruiting and retaining staff is going to remain significant for some time to come , but by changing their thinking CIOs will be able to win the battle . p

This career progression needs to begin from the first day a new staff member joins the team . The onboarding process should be comprehensive and cover everything from an explanation of how the organization functions to the systems that underpin daily operations . Following this process makes it much more likely that the staff member will remain as an employee over the longer term .

CRAIG SOMERVILLE , FOUNDER AND CEO , SOMERVILLE

www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO APAC 35