Como a profissão de TI está impactando a grande demissão

How the IT Profession Is Impacting the Great Layoff

Here we explore why IT professionals in particular have left their jobs recently, the impact on those who remain, and what leaders can do to retain new hires.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, IT roles were already difficult to fill. The great demand and lack of qualified professionals to fill these vacancies meant that many companies had to settle for smaller teams. When the pandemic hit, these small teams were even more overwhelmed by the many new responsibilities that came with a new push for work-from-anywhere capabilities and other technology needs.

IT professionals who were already doing more than they should have been pushed beyond their limits. Combined with existing challenges – such as inadequate salaries, lack of interesting projects, poorly managed teams and the mental health issues that many professions have suffered as a result of lockdown – the obligation to go so far outside their comfort zone has pushed many into the IT professions. to leave their jobs.

This phenomenon in the IT profession is just one part of what is being called the Great Resignation. There, many workers experienced similar conditions: mistreatment before the pandemic and being pushed beyond their limits during it.

Here we explore why IT workers in particular have recently left their jobs, the impact on those who remain, and what leaders can do to retain new hires.

Reasons why IT professionals quit

Some of the reasons IT professionals quit their jobs are the same as those for other professions. They're looking for things like better pay, the ability to work remotely (or, in some cases, not having to work remotely), bigger challenges, and well-managed companies and teams.

The simple need for a mental break is another cause for many employees across different professions to quit their jobs. But IT workers may have a particular problem here, given the dire need for additional technological resources across organizations as the pandemic unfolded over the past two years.

The impact on IT teams

IT teams that lose a few workers can be susceptible to a vicious circle. As exhausted team members leave, those who remain must work harder to compensate for lost skills. These employees are now also at risk of becoming overwhelmed and are more likely to follow their teammates out the door.

The following CNBC news report reports this phenomenon in more detail:

What IT leaders can do

Business leaders and IT managers in particular should take this opportunity to hold up a mirror and ask what can be done differently to ensure employees stick around. However, the hiring process can take time, so leaders should also consider some of the following ideas to compensate for lost team members:

  • Use more automation. It may not be necessary to hire the same number of people who quit. Hiring managers can take a look at technology solutions that may be able to fulfill some of the lost skills.
  • Use temporary workers or outsourced services. It can be uncomfortable to think about handing off work to people outside the company. But temporary workers and outsourced service providers are trained to work with company teams as if they were direct employees.
  • Explore data-driven recruiting techniques. Using information about why former employees leave, it may be possible to identify who is likely to leave next and take steps to entice them to stay.
  • Prioritize diversity. Studies show that companies with a diverse workforce are more successful than those without. Additionally, the broader the definition of what an IT professional looks like, the greater the number of candidates hiring managers will have to choose from.

A pivot to great retention

Just as getting regular service and maintenance for office equipment helps businesses save on the cost of new purchases in the future, investing in employees can save you the cost and hassle of finding and training new employees. Employers can start by learning what employees need:

  • More flexibility. Team members want to be able to work from a location of their choosing and take time off to take care of pressing personal matters.
  • Better quality of life. During the pandemic, many employees have learned what work-life balance really looks like and want to ensure that continues.
  • Relief from exhaustion. While the pandemic has been a special situation that has required longer hours in certain professions, team members typically want to limit the number of hours they are expected to work.
  • Respect. Some workers are tired of being mistreated by their managers and other decision-makers within their company.
  • Career path. Team members want to know they can advance their careers if they perform well.

Once employers understand employees' needs, they can begin to make them part of the roles they are hiring for and even include these qualities in job descriptions. For example, they might advertise “software engineers for remote work.” As working from home is important for many employees, companies must support their distributed workforce by ensuring they have everything they need to do their jobs successfully.

To attract employees, companies can also take other measures, such as offering higher wages and benefits and offering signing bonuses. All of these steps are especially important in the technology industry. According to a recent Entrepreneur article, “The technology industry is very competitive (and) it is imperative that technology companies focus on retaining their current talent.”

An opportunity to improve

Millions of Americans left their jobs in 2021, and it wasn't just because of the stress and demands related to the pandemic. Poor working conditions, a lack of business stability and a lack of opportunities for professional growth were problems long before COVID-19.

IT workers are not immune to any of these factors, and this profession has been one of the most represented in the Great Renunciation. Companies that have lost IT workers this year should see the situation as an opportunity to improve their companies and hiring practices, attract highly qualified talent, and achieve greater success than ever before.

Source: BairesDev

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