Entellects

What is the level of your IT worker satisfaction? If that isn’t something you think about on a regular basis, you aren’t doing all you can to enrich your company’s atmosphere and production. Many blog posts, whitepapers, and books have been dedicated to this topic, but few CIOs take the time to examine their employees’ satisfaction until people start to leave. Unhappy technology employees (and contractors) can find solace in a wave of tech demand. Additionally, discontented employees have the tendency to slack off, lose passion, and badmouth your company. Don’t underestimate the impact that a happy, satisfied employee can have on your company.

A CIO can have a much stronger impact on IT employees than the HR department can. Day in, day out, line employees are watching what you do, listening to what you say, and feeling the effects of your decisions. You are creating an atmosphere for your employees. If you begin consciously adjusting your behavior and decisions to improve your employees’ experiences, your impact can be greater than you realize. It’s as easy as HTML.

H – Honesty

Give honest feedback, good and bad, right away. Don’t leave them wondering about how they’re doing. If employees know when they are wrong, they will be much more likely to correct their actions.

Ask how you’re doing. That may sound strange, especially for high-level leaders. Knowing how the employees feel about your actions could provide you with valuable insight. Maintaining a ‘frank’ honesty with your employees will let your employees know that they are being listened to and valued.

T – Talk

Communicate with your employees constantly with short social conversations (water cooler talk) or discussions of current projects or tasks. Be positive about recent company news and upcoming ventures, encouraging employees to participate. Set the environment in your office. Is the atmosphere tense? Full of demanding projects? Full of friction? Gauge the temperature of the work environment and put fires out quickly.

M – Mentor

Invest in your employees; the best profit you gain may not be with a product, but with the talent you groom. Watch as skills develop and production improves under your encouragement. Be willing to trust your employees with important tasks instead of doing everything yourself. You have the power to greatly impact your employees; don’t squander it!

L – Lead

Throughout history, what people have been the best leaders? We remember the leaders who were willing to do the most difficult tasks and the lowliest jobs. George Washington fought side by side with his men; Winston Churchill took a stance against the Nazis, despite the resistance of many of his countrymen. Lead by example; stay late when no one else wants to, work on the task that everyone hates. You will gain greater respect and more devoted employees.

IT Worker Satisfaction

Start taking your first steps to improve your IT worker satisfaction now. Recognize that you are an integral contributor to your employee morale. Be honest, talk with your employees, mentor them, and lead them. Soon you will find that your employees begin to follow your example.