8 Ways to Nurture Talent Retention

Experienced leaders know that skilled technology professionals are hard to find. And these days, they’re even harder to keep.

Technology employees have never had more opportunities than they do right now to advance their skills online, network at virtual events, and work remotely without relocating to tech hubs. They can dip their toes in multiple pools and switch streams relatively easily. And after working to keep their organizations going amid turbulent times, the urge to seek out calmer (or more rewarding) seas is strong.

IT professionals are highly valued members of company teams, and the opportunity for these skilled individuals to develop or move on seems endless these days. On top of that, the many changes and challenges brought by the pandemic have increased stress levels among us all. There is certainly plenty of reason for stressed-out IT leaders to look outside their existing roles for new opportunities and a better work-life balance.

For CIOs who want to retain their top talent, it can be a tough sell. They need to encourage their key players to explore new opportunities and explore open doors but ultimately entice them to stay within the organization. IT – maybe more than any other function – has to make it a high priority to retain their talent.

8 Ways to Nurture Talent

Nurturing retention will take some effort – and finesse – in 2025. Here are some actions leadership can take to keep their best and brightest in-house.

1. Monitor the employee mood more frequently
   One thing for leaders to consider is whether they have the right processes, systems, and mindsets as leaders in place to smell the smoke in the shop early enough. Leaders need to be really attuned right now to early warning signs that you may have a retention issue.
   Every IT leader should assume that their team members are at least looking around and put in place processes and systems like pulse polls and feedback loops to keep abreast of the current environment. Microsoft Viva Glint advises ditching the annual employee engagement survey for more frequent check-ins and a “people dashboard” that offers comprehensive and current engagement data and enables leaders and managers to track trends and address them in a timely manner.
   Peter Cappelli, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and director of its Center for Human Resources, told HR Magazine that he recommends fielding pulse surveys because they can be created quickly, and the response rates tend to be higher than for longer surveys. Employee groups whose engagement scores trended down over two pulse surveys had a 50% higher attrition rate than groups whose scores held steady over the same time period, according to Glint research.

2. Get personal
   Keeping track of leading indicators of turnover in a formal and recurring way is necessary but not sufficient. It’s important to go beyond the formal ways that we get input like engagement surveys. You need something that is far more real-time. It’s critical to stay close and have a good pulse on where people are.
   IT leaders need to make it a habit to check in – really check in – with their teams. As a leader, you need to keep tuned in to the warning signs of fatigued or disengaged employees. Particularly in the virtual work environment, leaders must make an effort to stay connected to their teams and understand what motivates them.
   Adding in the human element can personalize a job more and build a bond that’ll make it harder for an employee to want to leave.

3. Be flexible
   Demand for talent is high, and in order to build and maintain a team of happy, productive, and engaged employees, some flexibility on the part of leadership will always be essential to address individual team member wishes and needs.
   Prioritizing the well-being of team members will pay greater dividends than rigid adherence to process above people. IT professionals often work longer hours than other members of the organization. Recognize your employees’ need for balancing their work and personal lives.

4. Give employees a voice
   Let’s face it, there are just some things that are difficult to say directly to your boss. You need to make sure you are front-footed and attuned to how people are really feeling. Thus, it’s important to make it easier for team members to voice their concerns and make it clear what they want.
   People leave for any number of reasons, including higher pay, more flexible hours, and better professional development opportunities. Give them an outlet to share their needs so you can determine how to meet them internally. IT leaders might partner with their HR organizations to conduct focus groups and gather data on more complex issues or use intranets or in-house social media platforms for more frequent check-ins and to collect feedback.

5. Make opportunities more overt
   Once you have a better idea of what might cause employees to leave, illuminate how they might get that within your organization. Leaders need to show their talent a clear path forward. They need to show that the organization is always looking to evolve for the better and adapt to new technologies.
   Offer employees continuous education opportunities and advancement opportunities in terms of salary or title to correspond with the additional skills they gain. Leaders must show their employees a progressive career path and the rewards that come with it – tangible and intangible.

6. Encourage connection
   Seclusion is rampant in virtual work and the resulting disconnection can cause people to detach from their workplace. Take the time to encourage human connection among the employees in your business as opposed to the isolation often associated with IT roles and remote work. Lack of regular interaction with fellow employees may actually result in employees re-examining their roles or even focusing on the less desirable parts of their job, which may just motivate them to move on.

7. Conduct “stay” interviews
   Exit interviews can offer important data to distinguish voluntary turnover (which the organization can do something about) from involuntary turnover (which may not be preventable). But even more valuable data can be gathered by talking to those employees who are staying put.
   Dick Finnegan, author of The Power of Stay Interviews for Engagement and Retention and CEO of consultancy C-Suite Analytics, told SHRM that he recommends asking employees such questions as what they look forward to each day heading into work, what they are learning, why they stay, when was the last time they thought about leaving and what prompted it, and what the company can do to make working there better for the employee.

8. Practice out-loud gratitude
   Maybe employees are leaving to work for an employer whose values they believe better align with their own, or where they believe their contribution is valued. Sometimes these defections are due to a lack of expressed appreciation. And that doesn’t cost a thing.
   Gratitude, appreciation, and kindness will never be ineffective or outmoded. Active listening and the gift of your time will never go out of style. Your employees will be confident that they are supported, and their efforts are recognized and valued when you approach business relationships from a position of gratitude.

This article, by Stephanie Overby, first appeared on The Enterprisers Project, and is being shared under the CC-BY-SA license.

Read the original story here – IT talent and the Great Resignation: 8 ways to nurture retention

https://enterprisersproject.com/

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