Tactics for Keeping Top IT Talent

Bev Kaye , Ph.D. is right!?It is tough to keep top IT talent (and all top talent) these days.?Her team’s findings that “if people do not feel they are growing, they will not stay” are consistent with an ever-growing number of studies. For example,

• Workplace LinkedIn Learning Report: 94% would stay at their current employer if they invested in their long-term learning (2021)
• A Bridge survey data finds that offering career training and development would keep 86%?of millennials from leaving their current position.?

According to Kaye, the needs include building connections, effective recognition, and culture. I agree wholeheartedly.?To tackle employee growth and development, and get recognition right, my firm developed CDR-U Coach. It’s a first of its kind, award winning, digital avatar coaching technology that provides personalized coaching feedback to each employee. The avatar coach debriefs the in-depth results of each employee’s CDR Character, Risks and Drivers and Rewards results.?The Coach also guides employees through developmental action planning and career action planning.?This was our way to reach ALL employees to support their individual development and growth plans.?Once each employee completes their own CDR-U Coach feedback and action planning, they are guided back to their manager to discuss their plans for growth – helping with “connection.”

In terms of getting recognition right, not everyone wants to be rewarded in the same ways.?We measure 10 facets of intrinsic motivation in our CDR Drivers & Rewards Assessment.?We include five sub-facets within each motivator to get specific which are ranked from most important to least important.?For example, if someone has a high need for Fame and Feedback it could be that their highest sub-facet need is Seeks Respect.” Yet, another individual with a high score on Fame & Feedback may be thirsting for Quest for Fame. ?These two needs are quite different. The three additional sub-facets under Fame and Feedback are:?Self-Promotion, Attention Seeking, and High Profile Associates (hanging out with high visibility colleagues.)

Interestingly, not everyone wants public praise and recognition as measured by Fame & Feedback. Some people love it yet others are humiliated by it.?The last thing a manager wants to do is “demotivate” an employee with recognition gone wrong. So, a managers’ job is to find out what motivates each of their employees and honor those things.?Often, doing so doesn’t cost anything.?Only one of the 10 facets on the CDR Drivers & Rewards focuses on financial gain – so there is plenty of room to reinforce an employee’s positive contributions without increasing the budget!??

As another example of a Driver & Reward need, some employees are energized by Amusement & Hedonism – or making work fun.?Others, particularly in the banking sector, only want a serious work environment and the see joking or playfulness as annoying or as non-professional behavior.?

In fact on this subject, I am delighted to be presenting “Supporting Intrinsic Motivation – The Key to Retention” on July 13 at the Gulf Coast HR Symposium in Houston.

In terms of developing all employees, we are still seeing reluctance by HR executives and talent development leaders. They hesitate to welcome the approach of providing coaching feedback and personalized developmental action planning for all employees, as we do with CDR-U Coach. However, in order to meet the daunting talent needs of the future, HR leaders must adapt to the changes needed, including using effective technology, to grow and develop all talent.?

At the recent @HR Technology Conference and Expo, Jason Averbook CEO of Leapgen commented in the closing speech (10/22), “When we think about transformation, one of the things that’s so important is we are all transformation agents, whether we like it or not.”?I think Mr. Averbook was correct, but sadly, it seems HR is not embracing this transformational role yet.

As Bev Kayes’ first book’s theme, which I continue to refer to as a great resource, “Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em,” ignoring employees’ development or recognition needs is not a wise business decision and is becoming more and more costly.?As we are seeing in IT and many STEM fields, you will “Lose Em” if you ignore their individual development and recognition needs.?

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#retention #coaching #recognition #assessments #hrtechnology #STEM

Additional articles and white papers about CDR-U Coach and CDR Drivers & Rewards Assessment:

1) The Future is Now: Nancy Parsons Of CDR Companies On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene by Fotis Georgiadi, Authority Magazine

2) A Science-Based Solution to the Daunting Talent Challenges of 2023

https://www.cdr-u.com/news/a-science-based-solution-to-the-daunting-talent-challenges-of-2023-and-beyond-

3) Revolutionizing Talent Development (white paper)

https://www.cdr-u.com/document/show/5489

4) Do You Have A Funny Bone?

https://www.cdrassessmentgroup.com/portfolio-items/do-you-have-a-funny-bone/

5) How to Reduce Stress & Be Happy:?Indulge Your Driver & Reward Needs??

https://www.cdrassessmentgroup.com/portfolio-items/how-to-reduce-stress-final/

6) Do You Know Your Intrinsic Motivators?

https://www.cdrassessmentgroup.com/do-you-know-your-intrinsic-motivators/

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