Disgruntled IT

There are so many career paths that one can pursue within a lifetime. If you’re fortunate, you may have discovered your niche and feel that the line of work you’re in is a “natural fit.” Well, if you truly enjoy what you do and you’re in a technology oriented career, I share your enjoyment and enthusiasm. You may; however, find it interesting that IT professionals are not the most engaged employees.

According to an “Employee Engagement” study conducted by Princeton consultants, BlessingWhite, Inc., fewer than one in four information technology department employees are fully engaged in their work. Of the eight staff areas studied, the IT function ranks last across the globe.

How can this be? Are all the techno-savvy fashionistas of the world “checked out” on the job? Compared with employees in other functions, IT workers are unusually independent, and tend to identify more with their profession than with the organization. IT workers tend to be achievement-oriented and the most important driver of increased performance is training and development opportunities. This comes as no surprise when you consider that IT employees are most often promoted based on their technical proficiency.

These are some additional findings you might find interesting:

• While only one-quarter of IT employees are fully engaged, at the other extreme nearly 20% of them are actually disengaged.

• Trust among IT employees is comparatively low with only 62% of IT employees trusting their organization’s senior leaders.

• In contrast, more than 78% of IT employees trust their immediate manager. Not surprisingly, trust tends to increase with engagement level, with 91% of engaged IT employees trusting their manager.

• Only 57% of IT employees said their manager recognizes and rewards their achievements.

• The most common reason for IT employees to remain with the organization is their career, with 28% agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement “I have significant development or advancement opportunities.”

IT professionals are greatly valued and support the foundation of a company’s competitiveness. While many enjoy working in isolation, the value they bring is unique and deserves to be recognized. IT professionals stand and be counted! Life is too short to be disgruntled. Smile, engage and stay connected.