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 Downturn and Managing Your Employee Base |
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 With the business environment in turmoil, here are some
things you should consider to improve morale and be on
track when the turnaround comes:
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Take care of your "A" players
- Do not project the attitude that "you are lucky to
have a job". The best players are hardest to come
by and will always have career options. IT
organizations feel this more than others. Your "A"
players will always be sought by your competitors
and the same players know they can be successful for
you or against you.
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It is the wrong time to make cutbacks in your
incentive compensation plans
Many IT stars are motivated by money; do not make
major changes to their compensation plans or their
projects unless it only benefits them. Top IT
professionals want to do develop their skills, work
on key projects, and be recognized for their
contribution. Almost any change will be viewed
negatively.
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At all costs, avoid across the board layoffs or
restructuring
-If necessary, make cutbacks based solely upon
performance. It is a good time to look at your "C "
players and work them out of the business, with the
intention of finding an "A " player as their
replacement. Another benefit to this type of
employment action is that you give your competitors
less chance to tell your clients that your business
is struggling and it was necessary to resort to
layoffs.
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Start planning for 2009 by acting now
- Many companies are currently cutting back on
hiring in response to the unknown certainty of our
economy and future business climate. Companies are
starting their fall planning process, which normally
involves hiring requirements for the next year. If
you are planning to add staff for the 2009, you will
want to start the process sooner rather than later.
A key IT Professional might be interested in
switching, but will be too busy finishing out their
year projects and not able or willing to devote
their time to the hiring process. October and early
November are the ideal times to select your new
hires for January.
Read on .... |
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Ways to Protect Your Job and Improve Your Value |
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With everything up in the air and the economy in
turmoil what should you be doing to protect your job?
Some things that you can do include:
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Be aware of what IT and you can do to help your
enterprise succeed
- The more you know about of the enterprise, the
more valuable you become as the company looks for
utility players rather than specialists.
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Expand your horizons by walking around
- Learn the language of enterprise and become
someone who not IT specialists see as someone who
know the enterprise and.
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Expand friendships beyond IT in the enterprise
- Become the unofficial computer help desk, and you
will soon have the chance to make lots of new
friends. You need others who will vouch for you, so
it is important to build trust and respect with your
peers, bosses and associates. As a part of this
effort, focus on improving your communication
skills.
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Eliminate non-enterprise activities - Do
not waste time on non-business Email and web
surfing.
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Manage and use enterprise resources wisely
- Turn off unused equipment and don't make extra
copies of anything.
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Expand your on-the-job experience and lean new
skills
- Whenever opportunity arises, throw your hat in the
ring for that new project, whether or not it is
outside your areas of expertise. Pursuing projects
outside the normal scope of your job
responsibilities not only expands your marketable
knowledge and experience, but can put you in the
position to meet, network with and impress new
people. Be aware of anything that is new out there
and think about how you can apply that technology
within the enterprise cost effectively if
appropriate.
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Manage your boss's perception of you
- Do that one extra thing that will remind him of
your value to the enterprise.
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Eliminate waste
- Know what tasks and what activities are necessary
and what are not. Highlight them and get the
process started to eliminate them.
Read on .... |
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