They May Not Stay

There has been a lot of talk in the channel lately among solution providers about how increasingly difficult it is to hire good people. Good technical people and good salespeople are both getting harder to find.

And while there is some talk about holding on to employees, some recent research suggests that is where the focus probably should be. In our annual salary survey, we always ask job-related questions along with the numbers questions. We'll have the salary breakdowns by position and the related data for you in our Oct. 15 issue of CRN, but some of the results of the research are simply too hot to hold onto—in particular, the answers to our questions about who is thinking about leaving their jobs.

LARRY HOOPER Can be reached via e-mail at lrhooper@cmp.com.

According to the research, 100 percent of customer support managers at solution providers said they had at least one reason to look for a new job. Some 95 percent of sales managers are open to considering other offers, along with 91 percent of technical, engineering and consulting staff. The percentage of staffers open to outside offers for most other positions at solution providers fell between 75 percent and 90 percent, meaning at any given time at least 75 percent of employees at solution provider organizations are open to offers.

Now, this doesn't mean they are all actively looking for new jobs. But it does mean they aren't tied to staying if they hear of other opportunities.

Most employees listed various reasons for being open to offers, but the bulk of the dissatisfaction centered around compensation, followed by a lack of career advancement opportunities.

Depending on where you sit, these results are good news or bad news. On one hand, you can say that a good three-quarters of the people at your competitors are open to offers from you. On the other hand, three-quarters of your people are open to offers from your competitors.

Still, the results also suggest that with a little bit of attention, your employees could become much more dedicated to your business. Even if you don't want to pay any more, laying out clear career paths for your employees not only will help keep them, but will also help recruit new ones, according to this research. How do you keep your employees happy enough to stay with your company?
Send me an e-mail at lrhooper@cmp.com.