[ISN] IT worker burnout gets critical

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Tue Mar 25 2003 - 00:27:34 PST

  • Next message: InfoSec News: "[ISN] Program exploits Windows 2000 flaw"

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/29904.html
    
    By John Leyden
    24/03/2003
    
    Morale among IT workers is at rock bottom, with workers struggling to
    cope with increased workloads.
    
    That's the main conclusion of Meta Group's annual IT Staffing and
    Compensation Guide. It found the majority of managers believed their
    techies are close to breaking point. Increased pressure, due to
    recession-induced staff cutbacks, is increasing the workload of
    remaining workers who are beginning to show the strain.
    
    Among IT managers surveyed, more than 71 per cent indicate that IT
    employee burnout is currently a serious issue in their organizations.  
    Unless the problem is addressed, turnover, productivity, and
    shareholder value will suffer, Meta warns.
    
    "Working through this prolonged recession, which has seen budget cuts
    across the enterprise, numerous staff cutbacks, and general sector
    uncertainty, has definitely taken its toll on IT employee morale.  
    Unfortunately, it is those same budget cuts that are impeding managers
    from combating the problem by way of making concrete improvements,"  
    said Maria Schafer, programme director of Meta Group's IT Human
    Capital Management Strategies, and author of the guide.
    
    The picture is not entirely black, with Meta noting that many firms
    are rolling out staff training programmes and other measures to boost
    worker morale.
    
    More than half (55 per cent) of companies surveyed by Meta have begun
    implementing skill development programs as a means to boost employee
    morale, while 24 per cent have created better overall retention
    programmes.
    
    Monetary rewards still register as a viable "Plan B" for many firms,
    according to Meta.
    
    One in ten (11 per cent) of surveyed companies raising salaries, a
    similar number hired more staff, and 8 per cent offering cash
    incentives to prevent employee burnout.
    
    According to Meta, only a few IT organisations with remote locations
    relied on a "change of scenery" to attract more talent and retain good
    people. Just one in 20 moved the company to a new location altogether
    in an effort to lure skilled workers and reduce employee malaise.
    
    Meta suggests that, at a minimum, firms should keep lines of
    communication with hard pressed workers open. Employee surveys,
    performance reviews suggestion boxes and the like can all help in
    this, it suggests.
    
    Meta released preliminary conclusions of the survey last week, ahead
    of the publication of the its IT Staffing and Compensation Guide later
    this year.
    
    
    
    -
    ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org
    
    To unsubscribe email majordomoat_private with 'unsubscribe isn'
    in the BODY of the mail.
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Mar 25 2003 - 02:46:21 PST