Why the job for life mentality no longer exists in IT - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

Why the ‘job for life’ mentality no longer exists in IT - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Employees staying in one role over a long period of time are  actually becoming less desirable, particularly in IT, where contracting is the norm. If you are an employer who wishes to boost their retention rate, however, then there are a few relatively small and simple changes you can make, as I will explain below. A moveable feast The current rate of movement within the IT sector has changed quite significantly in just the last 12 months. As it’s an ever-changing sector, with constant technological advancements and new ways of working, it stands to reason that those who work within it also often seek change. The industry has become synonymous with mobility; however the rate of this movement depends largely on what level within the market you’re looking at. Professionals who have just entered the market are spending maybe a couple of years in their first job, while mid-level employees are remaining in a job for two or three years and senior level workers have been moving less frequently over the last five or six years â€" this is largely down to the fact that the global economy hasn’t been as strong during this period, and thus there have been limited opportunities at the senior strategic level. The death of the job for life The job for life mentality no longer really exists in the modern world The IT sector is slightly unique to others industries in terms of time spent in each role. There’s a large contracting market within IT â€" whereby professionals work on a project basis which means that there is a greater number of people spending less time in each role. This range again depends on the seniority of that employee, or the nature of the project. It’s not just the IT sector that’s experience a reduction in the average time spent in each role, however; the ‘job for life’ mentality no longer really exists in the modern world, irrespective of the industry. Generally two or three years would be a reasonable duration for someone to remain in their role â€" whether that individual is moving on in the organisation they’re currently in or relocating to an alternative organisation. There is no such thing as a perfect retention rate One way that some larger companies â€" such as Deloitte and Accenture â€" boost their staff retention rate is by bringing in employees at graduate level, and moving them around the organisation as they develop. This is great for the worker because it means that you can enjoy lots of different jobs over a long period of time, providing you with a diversified skillset. SMEs, particularly in a startup environment, rarely exhibit these sorts of retention rates. In these sorts of organisations it’s often not desirable â€" from neither the employer’s nor the employee’s perspective â€" for that employee to stay there for too long. Startups are mostly regarded as a great opportunity for employees to gain some good, diversified experience over a couple of years, but then to move on to the next project as the start-up scales. The truth is that there is no ideal labour turnover rate, as different organisations are looking for different types of people. Longevity and retention are not always good indicators of a convivial working environment â€" a good working environment is determined by many different factors. Raising your retention rate Even if the money is right there are some other factors which employees might prioritise There are a few things that employers can do to boost their staff retention, if they so wish. These largely come down to making sure that their employees are happy within that company. If you’re underpaying an employee then there’s obviously a risk that you will lose that employee. However, even if the money is right there are some other factors which employees might prioritise when considering whether to make a career move. The first of these relates to benefits. I’m not just referring to monetary benefits such as pensions and bonuses, but other factors like work-life balance and flexibility. Issues such as whether you’re permitted to arrive to the office half an hour late in order to drop your kids off at school in the morning carry a lot of weight in the modern world, as does the ability to work at home. The second key factor concerns career progression and promotion. If you’re in an organisation where you don’t have the opportunity to move up the rungs then you might feel as though there is a ceiling on your career, which is an obvious reason for looking elsewhere for employment. The third reason as to why an employee is likely to leave a company is around training and development, which is a particularly pertinent point in the IT sector. Is the organisation working on legacy systems or operating on newer technologies? If newer technologies, then are they investing in the individuals to make sure they have the opportunity to develop their portfolio of skills? If you wish to minimise your labour turnover rate then it’s worth addressing the above three areas first, as these are almost always the primary concerns of an unsettled employee. Bringing it all together The ‘job for life’ is a rapidly expiring phenomenon, particularly in the IT sector. This is not necessarily bad news however, as there is no ideal turnover rate which employers ought to aspire to; there are many different factors which influence a labour turnover (such as sector, country, economy and so on) which have no bearing at all on how successful your organisation is. If, however, you do aspire to a higher retention rate then there are some steps you can take â€" most of which surprisingly don’t relate to salary! Hopefully you found this blog interesting. Here are some other IT articles which you also might enjoy: Digital marketing: the new IT crowd? The future of recruitment? 3 necessary steps to becoming an IT contractor 3 questions Im always asked about IT contracting Theres no such thing as a digital expert 2016: the year of the digital diviners Join our LinkedIn Group Join our LinkedIn Group to share your thoughts and stay up-to-date with the latest on business, employment and recruitment news in the IT industry. Join our Group