Companies are so desperate for talent that they will offer salary ranges far off the scale and for individuals whose talent does not match the wage. As a result, Petrocon has been forced to boost its IT salary budget. These large counteroffers usually are justified, he says, because if your IT employees are getting more lucrative offers elsewhere, you're probably paying them less than the market rate. HR should expect IT employees to field other offers, be approached by headhunters, leave and possibly return. High turnover is just part of the IT workforce's landscape, says Reginna Burns, SPHR, president of SHRM's High-Tech Net and HR director at a Fortune 50 telecommunications company.
Turnover does have a positive side.
Companies have become more open to taking back former employees who left to test the waters elsewhere and did not like it, Burns notes. Bring in the Consultants Not all employers can handle the high salaries and boomerang tendencies of an IT workforce. Companies with only modest IT needs may find that outsourcing IT functions is a good alternative to battling high-tech firms for talent. Fla. Outsourcing companies also can offer IT staff something that smaller firms may be unable to afford continuous career advancement training. D.C. As a result, be certain that outsourcing firms actually have the staff on hand to handle your IT needs, she says.