Sustainable Futures – Recruiting and Retention in a Changing Landscape EDUCAUSE Midwest Regional...

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Sustainable Futures – Recruiting and Retention in a Changing Landscape EDUCAUSE Midwest Regional 2008

Sustainable Futures – Recruiting and Retention in a Changing Landscape

Carol McDonald

Iowa State University

Information Technology Services

[email protected]

Copyright Carol McDonald 2008. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

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Recruiting and Retention Topics

• Current landscape • Developing the landscape• Future landscape• Wrap up and questions

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Declining interest in IT

Source: http://www.cra.org/wp/index.php?p=139

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Fewer undergraduates


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Fewer degrees granted


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IT enrollment at ISU

Source: www.public.iastate.edu/~registrar/stats/

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Current landscape – retiring boomers

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that 43 percent of the U.S. labor force will become eligible to retire before 2012

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be nearly 1 million more IT jobs in 2014 than exist today

• Impact of “gray drain” on IT – institutional knowledge, business integration skills, broad skill sets including knowledge of older technologies

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Current landscape – hot and not

• IT need is pervasive• The dot-com bust hurt us all• IT security, gaming, & network management are hot• Software development, particularly administrative

application support and development, are not • Long hours and 24x7 responsibilities are out• Work/life balance along with compensation are in

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Current landscape – ISU challenges

• University policies and procedure can make it difficult to compete

• Compensation is always an issue, especially as student debt rises

• Pull from the Des Moines metro market • There is a regional exodus of young professionals

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Current landscape – regional issues

• Generation Iowa Commission• Iowa is a top 10 importer of college students but

struggles to retain college graduates• Iowa’s relative low cost-of-living is offset by

lagging wages and high student loan debt• Iowa lacks after hours entertainment alternatives

Source: www.iowalifechanging.org/generation

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Current landscape – reality check

• Recruiting and retention must be a priority project for IT

• Recruiting and retention is a continuous cycle

Recruit

Retain Hire

Evaluate

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Developing the landscape – in Iowa

Generation Iowa outcomes• Bridge gap between wages and student debt• Improve state image through effective marketing• Generation Iowa – best practices manual


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Prepare the groundwork

• Consider internships and mentorships• Focus on total compensation • Create career advancement opportunities• Identify future needs• Create a recruitment strategy


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Accentuate the positive – at ISU

• Greater good vs. bottom line• Culture and beauty of the campus• Encourage full compensation comparison• Working with HR – HR liaison group, LEAN

projects, classification/compensation review• Academic units are also changing – Software

Engineering, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

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Change Recruiting Strategies

• Build your brand• Advertising – on-line vs. paper• Career fairs – even if we don’t have openings• Student employment and internships • Networking and outreach – find a way to reach

the passive candidates• Explore new options – Open houses, pizza

night, MySpace, YouTube

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Define your dream hire• Strong analysis skills, understands the business process

and needs, understands the needs of the user community• Strong technical skills• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills• Recognizes that change is part of the game - past success

only breeds the desire and demand for more innovation• Collaborates - listens to the ideas, challenges the solution,

often suggests and delivers a better solution• Is part of the team with the ability to lead vs. follow• Is proactive - makes the first move• Participates, contributes, anticipates

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Steps for evaluating, interviewing, hiring

• Evaluate core skills and look for potential• Seek contrary evidence but don’t cross examine• Make a good impression, sell the organization• Remember that you’re also being interviewed• Help improve the process – work with HR

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Sustaining success – first impressions

• Create an environment in which people feel valued, wanted, needed, and appreciated

• The first day of work matters• New employee orientation and training• Peer adviser

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Sustaining success – staff development

• Role of the manager• Identification of career goals• Technical skills – many choices• Soft skills – communication, collaboration, time

management• Project management• Leadership development

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Sustaining success - retention • Career advancement opportunities• Collaborative projects• Tuition reimbursement• Flexible work hours• Wellness programs • Big food Friday’s• Cookies and technology seminars• Recognition and celebrations

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Future Landscape

• Our day-to-day actions determine the sustainability of our organization

• Engagement• Outreach• Evaluate effectiveness and adjust

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Keys to success• IT is an essential resource • People are essential to the success of every IT

organization• Recruiting and retention is every bit as important

as keeping systems up and running• We must begin today to build our sustainable

future

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Discussion and Questions

• What are your recruiting and retention challenges?

• Do you have a recipe for success you’d like to share with the group?

• Questions?

Sustainable Futures – Recruiting and Retention in a Changing Landscape EDUCAUSE Midwest Regional...

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