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Businesses Fess Up To Morale Issues
It's said that money can't buy happiness. And when it comes to improving the morale of IT workers, most companies aren't relying on greenbacks to wash away the blues.
4 Min Read
It's said that money can't buy happiness. And when it comes to improving the morale of IT workers, most companies aren't relying on greenbacks to wash away the blues.
A recent study by Meta Group indicates that employee morale is becoming an issue among IT workers. Two-thirds of 250 IT executives surveyed for the IT Staffing And Compensation Guide report that their technology workers are succumbing to morale problems. Perhaps more dire, 71% admit that IT burnout is a serious problem in their organizations.
As most companies have reined in spending, it's no surprise that cash incentives are being used by just 8% of respondents to placate tech workers. Meanwhile, only 17% say they've resorted to reviewing salaries more frequently, and just 11% say they raise salaries in an attempt to boost spirits. A small percentage of respondents seem to think a change of venue might bring a change of attitude: Five percent say they're moving their companies to a new location in an attempt to improve morale.
Team-building and focusing on core performers each received only 3% of the votes, while just 2% of companies rely on leadership to improve morale. (Maybe that's because leaders' morale doesn't seem any better than their staffs'?)
The most common action taken to keep IT morale high is skills development, used by 55% of respondents.
Before trying to fix a problem, you've first got to realize you have one. Companies use a number of methods to gauge morale. The most popular is employee-satisfaction surveys, used at 84% of companies surveyed. Yet only 15% of companies are using suggestion boxes to encourage IT workers to air their grievances. Nor are companies relying on focus groups, with use reported by only 2% of executives.
Perhaps the mood of many IT professionals--and everyone else--would benefit from an economic recovery, a bullish stock market, peace on earth--and hey, while we're at it, how about a big fat raise?
What's your company doing to keep IT spirits from slipping? Let us know at the address below.
Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
Senior Writer
[email protected]
Litmus TestHow does your company evaluate IT morale?Performance reviews offer an opportunity to gauge how things are going with IT workers. While assessing accomplishments and establishing objectives, some companies are taking advantage of evaluations to measure the mood of IT personnel. One in five IT executives surveyed by Meta Group says reviews are used to evaluate the morale of IT workers. |
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Resilience ReportedIs IT burnout a serious issue at your company?Work hours have gotten longer and work assignments have increased in volume. Yet not all IT workers are succumbing to the pressures that these demands create. While IT burnout has become an issue for many companies, others seem resilient. Nearly 30% of the IT executives interviewed say that IT burnout isn't a serious issue at their companies. It would be interesting to hear from the IT workers themselves if they agree with their bosses. |
Chosen StrategiesWhat actions has your company taken to boost IT morale this year?There are many viable options that companies can take to combat low morale and employee burnout. Hiring more people to help cope with workflow, encouraging increased collaboration to foster workload sharing, and implementing knowledge-management strategies to enable more effective work conditions all have potential. Yet few companies among those surveyed report that they are taking these basic steps. |
Cash InfusionWhat cash incentives has your company used to boost IT morale this year?When money is used to improve the mood of IT workers, finance and banking companies are generally behind the push to offer cash incentives. IT consulting firms tend to raise salaries. In fact, manufacturing and IT consulting prefer to raise and review salaries more frequently than many other sectors. Yet judging by the number of companies taking these steps, these strategies are still few and far between as companies continue to keep a hold on IT spending until business conditions show hard evidence of improvement. |
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