The Manage IT Newsletter - Focus on securing talent:

The focus of this issue is on the forces driving ITO talent shortage and the steps ITO managers and leaders should take right now to secure valuable talent.

Welcome to the March 2005 issue of the "Manage IT Newsletter." This monthly publication is dedicated to helping ITO managers and their teams enjoy a richer career experience so they can reach their full potential while driving maximum value to their organizations.

Please share this newsletter with your network, friends and colleagues. If you are an IT executive or HR professional, pass a copy of this newsletter on to your IT managers. A FREE subscription is available by sending a blank email to:
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With warmest regards, Joe Santana,
Co-author Manage IT
http://www.manageitbook.com
***************************In this Issue ****************************
* Focus Topic - Focus on securing talent
* IT Management News & Trends
* Free Gift of the Month: Staff Planning Audio
* Closing Comments and Announcements
*********************************************************************

--------------------------- Focus Topic -----------------------------
Focus on securing talent

For those of you that have been waiting for the signs that the tide is turning and that it is time to start focusing on retaining your talent, the word is go. According to experts the IT talent shortage is no longer simply near, it is upon us. According to these experts there are a couple of factors driving this:

* IT salaries are expected to grow by up to 15% from now through the course of the next three years, making job changes more attractive.

* With the much of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance projects nearing completion many companies are turning their attention to previously-shelved IT projects. This will increase the demand for a variety of skills, some of which will only be found in people that are currently employed. (There are a number of ITO professionals that are unemployed. That does not mean that these will be the first to fill the increase in demand unless they have the specific skills these companies need to run their projects).

* Most the ITO teams that are being asked to take on these projects are operating under constraints as a result of forces of staff reductions and/or freezes that characterized the past few years. This places a lot of CIOs in the unenviable position of having to attack and complete these mission-critical projects under time-pressure with less than an optimal staff. That puts even more pressure on these CIOs to go out a look for new resources while making sure they do not lose any of the talent they currently have in-house. (A recent CIO Insight survey found that 76% of IT executives surveyed found their current environment inadequately staffed).

* A number of ITO professionals, who have gotten a taste of being independent entrepreneurs, have developed a taste for it. These former corporate workers have expressed a strong desire to remain single-shingle one-person businesses. That further reduces the pool of people available to the corporate recruiters for full-time positions.

Given the above facts, here are two things I recommend that you do address this immediately if you are an ITO hiring manager:

1. Develop highly effective workforce plans. For advice on how to do this, see some of the articles listed below as well as the free gift for this month, which is a 60 minute audio full of advice on how to put an effective staffing plan together.

2. Grow your own talent. One of the articles listed below presents an excellent example of how BNSF executives did this in their organization.

As I often state, ITOs are essentially professional services businesses fueled by the talents and competencies of their people. Use the information in this month's issue of the Manage IT Newsletter to ensure that you have the human capital needed to meet your upcoming challenges.

This months free gift is a 60-minute audio interview with two top experts on staff planning, which you can listen to at http://www.joesantana.com/Hiring%20Plans%20II.wma.

In the IT Management News and Trends section below that you will find a list of articles that will offer detailed information and advice on what to do relative to securing the ITO talent you need to succeed.

JS

------------------ IT Management News and Trends ------------------
This month, we have some select articles that focus on the need for hiring plans and effective retention strategies.

An article that talks about why the ITO talent shortage is upon us
http://www.cioupdate.com/career/article.php/3462491

This article spotlights how one company is responding to the talent shortage by grooming their next generation of ITO leaders.
http://www.cio.com/archive/011505/tl_staffing.html

This recent article warns us that many of the ITO professionals the organizations seek may not want a job. They, according this piece, want to be their own bosses
http://management.silicon.com/itpro/0,39024675,39127087,00.htm

This Herman Trend Alert agrees with some of the drivers toward independence cited in the above article. According to the report, the trend toward telecommuting, which is fueled by the same desire to work from home, is building worldwide.
http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/archive_1-19-2005.html

According to this recent article companies must implement a workforce planning process now in order to be prepared for an upcoming workforce shortage.
http://www.cioupdate.com/article.php/3482031

This article talks about why it's cheaper to retain people than it is to have high turnover and hiring.
http://www.cioupdate.com/career/article.php/3482646

The URL below will take you to the January 2005 CIO Insight IT Staffing Update. A good source of facts and figures for your business case.
http://www2.cio.com/research/surveyreport.cfm?id=83

------------------ Free Gift of the Month -------------------------
For your free copy a 60 minute audio interview with to top experts on staff planning, which you can listen to or download at http://www.joesantana.com/Hiring%20Plans%20II.wma.

--------------- Closing Thoughts and Announcements ----------------
WANT TO ATTEND A SEMINAR ON KEEPING UP WITH EVERCHANGING IT COMPETENCIES FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OFFICE OR HOME?
Go to the WatchIT site and order a copy of "Keeping up with IT staff competency requirements. http://www.watchit.com/PGDSCR.cfm?c_acronym=CICR&setCurrentSection=PG

WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT PROS AROUND THE WORLD THINK?
Join to the IT Professional World Wide network at http://itpww1-network.ryze.com (Membership is free).

FOR WEEKLY UPDATES, READ JOE'S WEB LOG
Visit Joe's blog hosted by ITToolbox.com. This, weekly news site updated two to three times per week, contains rapid insights into the news that affects the careers and jobs of IT professionals. To access visit http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/pm/strategies/authorbio.asp

WANT TO HELP YOUR FRIENDS LOOKING FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO FIGHT BURNOUT AND ACHIEVE PEAK PERFORMANCE
Have them visit www.joesantana.com and sign up for the free TIPS DRIVING PEAK PERFORMANCE EMAIL SEMINAR. Delivered over seven days, this program is packed with advice that can immediately be put to use by a rookie or a veteran IT manager. (HR pros will also find it a rich source of ideas they can use to coach IT managers).

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT MANAGEMENT WITH JOE?
Visit www.ULiveandLearn.com and register for the IT Management webinar. This information packed program comes right to your desktop and offers you advice on one of your most important career decisions.

NEED HELP WITH EXECUTIVE COACHING, TRAINING, HIRING,
ASSESSMENT Contact EmployeeROI www.EmployeeROI.com 1-212-937-8413

I hope you enjoyed this issue of the IT Managers Newsletter and as always I look forward to continuing to serve you.