Retaining IT Talent Requires Understanding Turnover Triggers and Moments That Matter to Employees, Says Advisory Firm Info-Tech Research Group

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Jan 19, 2023, 15:38 ET

No single initiative will completely solve retention issues. A holistic approach that addresses turnover triggers, concerns, and important employee moments ensures employee needs are addressed on both an individual and aggregate level.

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - In an already-volatile market for IT talent, regrettable turnover is impacting organizational productivity and leading to significant costs associated with employee departures and replacements. To support organizations navigating the challenges of IT talent attraction and retention, global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has published a new blueprint titled Tactics to Retain IT Talent. The timely industry research is intended to help IT, HR, and organizational leaders identify the key reasons for turnover within their organization and leverage employee data and feedback to work with management to develop solutions to retain top IT talent.

The employee lifecycle diagram will help IT and HR leaders identify where employee needs fall, further assisting their efforts in pinpointing solutions to attract and retain IT talent. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

Many organizations tackle retention from an engagement perspective with an aim to increase engagement to improve retention. However, this approach does not consider the whole problem. For example, engagement surveys often mask the volatility of the employee experience and hide the reason why individual employees leave. Therefore, it is crucial to speak with employees to understand the moments that matter to them and engage with managers to understand turnover triggers.

"Retention and turnover are two sides of the same coin. You can't fix retention without first understanding turnover," says Will Howard, director, HR research & advisory services at McLean & Company, a division of Info-Tech Research Group. "Improving retention isn't just about lowering turnover; it's about discovering what that looks like sustainably and collaboratively for your organization. To be successful in your IT talent retention endeavors, retention plans must be owned by both HR and IT leaders."

Info-Tech's research indicates retention efforts focused on IT employees that are supported by both HR and IT are more likely to result in success. HR professionals often have insights into where and why retention is an issue. Gathering detailed employee feedback data through transparent and anonymous surveys and focus groups provides credibility to these insights and is key to building a case for action. IT leaders often have the most visibility into their employees' personal and work lives and have a key opportunity to anticipate and address turnover triggers, while stay interviews help managers anticipate potential retention issues on their teams.

To help HR and IT leaders develop an effective, holistic retention plan for IT talent, Info-Tech recommends following its two-step process below:

Identify reasons for regrettable turnover – Step one requires analyzing and documenting why employees join, stay, and leave an organization, as well as employee needs and common themes. This step also includes conducting employee focus groups and prioritizing employee needs.
Select solutions and create an action plan – The second step consists of selecting and prioritizing solutions to address identified employee needs, creating a plan to launch stay interviews, and building an action plan to implement solutions.

Upon completion of the two-step process, it is important to continue the work. IT and HR leaders should regularly analyze engagement and retention levels to identify ongoing themes and trends, observe employee and manager feedback regularly, and revisit planned initiatives to determine if a refresh is necessary to meet changing organizational and employee needs.

For full insights and guidance on developing a retention action plan, IT and HR leaders can download Info-Tech's industry blueprint Tactics to Retain IT Talent.

For more about Info-Tech Research Group and to download the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the ITRG Media Insiders Program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group