The Manage IT Newsletter - The growing need to invest in training:

This issues focuses on the growing need for IT worker continuous development and training

Welcome to the September 2004 issue of the "Manage IT Newsletter." This monthly publication is a part mentoring and part coaching tool dedicated to helping IT managers enjoy a richer career experience so they can reach their full potential.

In this issue we will look at your growing need for making investments in training and how to get the most out of those investments. I trust as always that you will find the advice in this issue valuable in your efforts to address today's business/IT challenges.

Please do 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: ManageITNewsletter-on@zines.webvalence.com

If, at any time, you wish to be removed from this list, simply send a blank email to: ManageITNewsletter-off@zines.webvalence.com

With warmest regards,
Joe Santana,
Co-author Manage IT
www.joesantana.com

P.S. I also invite you to read my daily web logs at http://www.joesantana.com/blog.html ***************************In this Issue ****************************
* Focus Topic: The Growing Need for Continuous IT Worker Training
* IT Management News & Trends: Articles on the need for training and recommended approaches
* Tip Sheet: Eight things you can do to provide effective training and development for IT workers
* Closing Comments and Announcements
*********************************************************************

--------------------------- Focus Topic -----------------------------
The Growing Need for Continuous IT Worker Training

In today's frenzied world of change and the demand for "agile IT organizations," I'm sure all of you can see that today's hot new skill can quickly become tomorrow's outdated legacy. The drivers behind this accelerated pace of obsolesce are many, but a few stand out. Here are just three:

* As noted in the August issue of the Manage IT Newsletter, annual business strategies that are truly followed by business executives are things of the past. Today organizations move at a much faster pace. What they need and expect from IT likewise changes rapidly.

* Couple this trend toward shorter term, flexible planning with the globalization of jobs via offshoring that results in new needs being created in both the companies and countries these jobs enter as well as the companies and countries they leave behind. For example, in the United States, the number demand for certain types of programmers has declined, while the demand for IT managers has steadily increased.

* For a final layer of complexity, place on top of this the huge number of IT projects that require a distinct set of skills for only a specific period of time. When the project is over, so is the need for that skill set.

The emerging picture is of an IT organization where the required skills set for success is in a constant state of flux.

In light of the recent buyer's market for IT talent, some organizations have tacitly adopted a hire and fire approach as their solution. Basically, they hire the talent they feel the need today, fire that "talent-group" when they believe they no longer need them and move on to hiring the next required skill. Studies, however, show this approach may be the most costly even in a buyer's market. Some research results show that replacing an employee can cost more than three times the employee's annual salary.

Another important thing to consider is that "the buyer's market" for IT resources seems to be fast approaching its end. According to labor department figures, 9,000 computer systems, design and related jobs were added this past August. Combine that with figures from previous months and it tells us that a total of 36,400 new computer systems, design and related jobs were added since August last year. Not surprisingly, IT workers are becoming more confident with regards to their ability to find and hold new jobs according to a report released by the staffing firm Hudson. In a recent Herman Trend Alert, the authors commenting on the Hudson report results rightly predict that with increases in worker confidence, boldness relative to seeking new jobs will follow. (http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/alert_index.html). This will certainly add to the cost of finding new hot skills on the job market in the near future.

So if hiring new skills and firing the skills you no longer need is not a viable solution, what can you do to address the need for change? The answer is to invest in train and development of your people. By investing a fraction of the cost incurred in practicing a hiring and firing approach into training and development for IT professionals, you can do much to reduce costs while positioning your company more effectively within your markets.

To that end, I invite you to go to this months tip sheet for eight suggestions you can use to provide an effective training and development program in response to the continuous need for IT skill development. http://www.joesantana.com/tip20.htm. Also, for an expanded look at the cost of hiring and firing as well as alternatives, follow the links to the articles listed under the News and Trends section.

-------------------- IT Management News and Trends -------------------
This month, we offer you five select articles that look at the high cost of addressing new skill needs via hiring and firing, trends that will make it costlier and your options for stretching your training dollars. (For more on making the best use of IT training dollars, see this months tip sheet http://www.joesantana.com/tip20.htm.

An excellent article on the high-cost of IT turnover.
http://www.jdapsi.com/Client/Articles/Default.php?Article=coh

A calculator tools that enables you to determine your own cost of turnover/replacement
http://www.jdapsi.com/Client/Articles/CostOfHiring.php

A CNET article that talks about signs of life in the IT job market that may being to impact the pool of available IT resources, thus making the hiring and firing strategy even costlier.
(http://news.com.com/Tech+jobs+added+in+August/2100-1022_3-5347549.html?tag=nefd.top)

Another article, this one from the Chicago Tribune, that talks about the marketing brightening for IT professionals
http://www.joesantana.com/Chicago%20Tribune%20August%208%202004.pdf

This article written by Joe Santana and published earlier this week in Computerworld, outlines how IT organizations can specifically stretch their IT management training dollars (Much of the advice can also be applied to IT workers).
http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/story/0,10801,95741,00.html

--------------------------- Tip Sheet --------------------------------
For eight suggestions you can use to provide an effective training and development program in response to the continuous need for IT skill development, go to Sept04 tip sheet at http://www.joesantana.com/freenewsandtips.htm

----------------- Closing Thoughts and Announcements -----------------
LOOKING FOR A DAILY DOSE OF IT CAREER AND STRATEGY TIPS
Visit Joe's Web Log Monday through Friday (except Holiday's) at http://www.joesantana.com/blog.html

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 continues to grow at a phenomenal rate and it is still free). Many members are using this network to find mentors, discover job opportunities, and find candidates for open positions and much more.

WANT TO LEARN WHAT TO OUTSOURCE FOR TOP RETURN ON INVESTMENT?
Get your copy of the audio program titled "Doing more with less through IT Outsourcing," at http://store.mixonic.com/joesantana

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).

NEED HELP QUICKLY BUILDING A PIPELINE OF CANDIDATES.
Contact EmployeeROI www.employeeroi.com/1-888-654-8845

I hope you enjoyed this issue of the IT Managers Newsletter. As always, your feedback on topics that interest you is always appreciated.

JS