Everyone loves to feel lucky!

You know the feeling when you interview for a new job, negotiated well, and not only get the job but also feel like you were offered some extra perks? It’s like finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

As an employer, you want all your employees to feel lucky. Right now, with the ongoing shortage of professionals with IT skills, there are many more open positions than qualified people to fill them. Competition to get the best - and retain them - is fierce.

So, what can you do to make your company more attractive to IT talent?

The key may be flexibility, and it doesn’t take a lot of money or a large business to adopt a few practices to make employees feel trusted and valued.

Value Contribution and Individuality

When someone does a good job, let them know verbally. Yes, it might be part of their job, but everyone gets motivated when they realize the things they do matter and are acknowledged.

If an employee has proven to be reliable and mature at recognizing what he or she needs to do and how to do it, allow for flexibility in work schedules and assignments. Letting employees have more autonomy in how and when they work can enable them to be more productive.

A Clear Career Path Forward

Nobody likes to feel stuck in a job. Constantly learning is a good way to keep employees engaged and to help them become even more valuable to your business.

Consider providing:

• Lunch and Learns - Have employees present new tools or skills to other members of the team. Schedule guest speakers and friends to come in for an hour to teach while everyone relaxes over lunch.
• Job resources - Find job-related books and seminars that employees can use.  
• Courses and conferences - By sending one person to a skill-building conference, he or she can gain knowledge that can then be brought back to teach to others.

Fun and Rewards

Remember - if you have talented IT people working for you, other companies will probably want them, too. Rewards don’t have to be expensive.

Consider some of the following ideas:

• Offsite events - Team lunches and events allow members to get to know each other better and align as a team. Add a service element to the event to provide an even greater sense of reward for everyone. If you think you can’t afford it, be creative. Picking up garbage on the beach or in a nearby park doesn’t cost much but the rejuvenation from the break from routine can work wonders.
• Early release - Let your employees go home a few hours early now and then. Who doesn’t love that extra unexpected time to have some fun?
• Nice surprises - Provide special services to someone who did something nice or stayed late for hours on end to complete a project. Pay to have their house cleaned, a session of laser tag or movie passes that they can use whenever they want. 

Don’t reward unless it is warranted and be clear as to why you are giving a reward. Everyone loves a perk and it helps people feel like they are lucky to work in a business that shows they know when people go the extra mile.

A little flexibility, recognizing and rewarding contributions, and adapting to individuality can create a working environment that makes any skilled IT professional feel lucky.

Remember that you can contact TeamLogic IT for help if you are short-staffed or in need of technical expertise.

Since 2007, TeamLogic IT has become the 36th largest IT service provider globally. Our success is driven through one core mission - to leverage technology for our customers.Thousands of businesses across the US - just like yours here in Wilmington, NC - are taking advantage of our ability to deliver highly available, secure and flexible IT systems. At TeamLogic IT, our philosophy is simple - we work with you the way we'd want someone to work with us. Visit us today in the Port City at 2901 North Kerr Ave., 910-500-1392. If email works best for you, contact me personally at [email protected].