An IT "Talent War" Might Finally Be Here

Despite outsourcing of IT work, many in the human resource industry have been predicting a labor shortage in information technology for some time. Certainly anyone who reads resources such as the Herman Group are aware of this, as we've discussed both the US and global labor market many times before (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). Now, Joe Santana of CIO Update warns IT managers that "you simply cannot afford to just 'hope that the talent you currently have will stick around.'" Turnover rates will undoubtedly rise, he says, without an aggressive recruiting and retention strategy, and teams will fall behind in their projects unless they hire quickly and act to keep employees.

The solution, however, isn't always as simple as higher salaries and more bonuses. Many IT workers are simply burnt out, and may be more interested in moves that address a greater work-life balance and help moderate their workloads.