Tipping the Scales With Training

Companies that invest in their employees' professional development have an edge when recruiting IT professionals, new research from Robert Half Technology suggests. Sixty-eight percent of IT workers surveyed said the ability to acquire new skills is very important when evaluating a job opportunity. Additionally, 64 percent of respondents said they are very concerned about keeping their skills current in the next three to five years. However, in a separate Robert Half Technology survey, 44 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said their companies do not have training and development programs for IT professionals.
 
The IT worker survey was developed and conducted by Robert Half Technology, a provider of IT professionals based out of Menlo ark, Calif. The responses are from more than 7,500 IT workers to a web survey. The CIO survey was developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. The survey is based on more than 2,300 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies in 23 major metro areas with 100 or more employees.
 
"IT workers know that the industry moves quickly and favors employers that will help them keep their technical skills relevant," said Robert Half Technology Senior Executive Director John Reed. "Training and development programs are equally beneficial to businesses because they allow them to build internal teams with hard-to-find technical skills."
 
Robert Half Technology offers employers three tips to help IT staff keep their skills sharp:
‧       Pay for relevant learning. Reimburse staff for relevant online classes, educational conferences and courses offered by professional associations or local colleges. If employees seek (or already hold) industry certifications, consider reimbursing them for the costs to obtain and maintain them.
‧       Be flexible. If your team members are expected to complete professional development courses on their personal time, they may forgo training opportunities altogether. Be willing to make scheduling accommodations or adjust workloads when necessary.
‧       Lookinside. If you simply don't have the budget to reimburse employees for continuing education expenses, tap internal subject matter experts. Hold brown-bag training sessions so one employee can educate others on a particular topic. Mentoring arrangements are another proven and cost-efficient way to transfer knowledge and support development.
 
For more information about Robert Half Technology visit www.rht.com.