|
Of course, the flip side of managing the best performers is the issue of how to handle nonperformers. One executive candidly says, "To be really honest, I've probably only had one top performer in 10 years of managing programmers."
And the head of security at an environmental services firm places performance in a generational context. "Many younger workers don't seem to have the same work ethic and commitment as older workers," he says. The CIO at a medical services company admits that it's difficult to address this problem. "HR in my organization is very tentative on 'exiting' employees without full documentation of willful failure," he says.
Despite these concerns, solving the human resources management problem in IT is not insurmountable, and it doesn't have to be expensive. The ready availability of self-service technologies and Web portals makes assessment, measurement and information exchange affordable.
Improving the performance measurement and management systems is a project that midmarket CIOs should present to their direct reports and ask what they would change. Here's a six-step approach to getting started:
- Define what high performance means in your company.
- Measure all IT employees by commonly understood criteria.
- Assign a ranking system and let employees know where they stand in relation to their peers.
- Create a development plan to improve employees' ranking.
- Remeasure.
- Repeat.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY: We surveyed 125 thought leaders and practitioners on their companies' human resources practices as well as how their firms find, nurture and develop IT talent. The sample comprised large enterprises (37%) and midsized companies (63%). Researchers followed up with some respondents by e-mail.
Thornton May is a respected futurist, adviser and educator whose insights on IT strategy have appeared in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and numerous computer industry publications. To comment on this story, email editor@ciodecisions.com.
|
