Handling Employees Archives

How to Retain Your Tech Staff

As a tech exec, you understand the importance of a top-notch, innovative tech team that propels your company’s success. From coding wizards to networking gurus, these pros drive digital transformation, give you a competitive edge, and keep operations running smoothly.

Retaining tech superheroes isn’t easy. With endless industry opportunities, top-notch techies are in high demand, exploring new frontiers. So, how do you keep them engaged, motivated, and loyal? Let’s dive into game-changing strategies to retain your tech talent and build an unstoppable dream team!

1) Create a Culture of Constant Growth and Learning
To keep your techies supercharged, foster a culture that thrives on continual learning and growth. Provide ongoing training, support their participation in industry events, and champion individual career development plans.

By investing in their skills and future, you show you’re committed to their success. In return, they’ll stick around, fueling your growth and success.

2) Sweeten the Deal with Competitive Compensation and Perks
While money isn’t everything, it sure does count. Ensure your pay and perks rock, staying competitive in the industry and your location. Regularly review and adjust to stay on top of market trends.

Besides the basics like health plans and retirements, spice things up with flex work arrangements, personal development time off, and other goodies to show your appreciation for their hard work.

3) Cultivate an Unbreakable Team Bond
Strong camaraderie and collaboration are key to a powerful tech team. Encourage open communication, teamwork, and transparency. And don’t forget to plan team-building activities and social events outside of work.

By creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose, you’ll fuel a positive work environment where your techies thrive and conquer goals together.

4) Unleash Their Superpowers for Good
Techies love using their skills to make a real impact. Empower them by assigning projects that align with their values and passions. Whether it’s building life-changing software or partnering with NGOs, let them change the world.

By giving your tech team a chance to make a difference, you’ll keep their fire burning bright, ensuring their long-term commitment to your company.

5) Champion Work-Life Balance and Mental Well-being
Remember, it’s not all about work. Tech pros value their personal lives and mental health like never before. Prioritize their well-being by offering counseling, flexible work arrangements, and encouraging self-care practices.

When you genuinely care about their lives, you’ll create a loyal tech team that stays with you for years. Retaining tech talent can be challenging, but with these strategies, you can build an unstoppable team that drives success and fuels innovation.

Invest in growth, offer competitive rewards, foster a tight-knit environment, empower employees to make a difference, and prioritize their well-being. Create a workplace that attracts top talent and keeps them engaged for the long haul.

How to Create a Fun Work Environment

Traditional corporate culture is a thing of the past. Creating a fun work environment is key to boosting productivity and attracting top talent.’s explore five tips for a more enjoyable workplace!

Fostering a collaborative culture – Work is enjoyable when everyone works together towards a common goal. Encourage teamwork and collaboration by creating shared workspaces that promote interaction. Consider setting up a fun lunch area for employees to bond over meals. Team-building exercises and mentorship programs are always a hit!
Providing development opportunities – Boost employee engagement by offering growth opportunities. Provide training, feedback, and recognition. Job rotations add excitement. Invest in your employees’ growth to create a fun work environment and cultivate future success.
Creating a relaxing atmosphere – No more dull offices! Spruce up the workspace with vibrant colors, lush plants, inspiring artwork, and motivational quotes. And why stop there? From a gym to an arcade or a nap room, provide amenities for employees to recharge and refocus.
Celebrating achievements – Celebrate achievements, big or small! Acknowledge employees who meet targets or goals with lunch, a thank-you note, or a rocking party. Milestone celebrations foster motivation and team spirit, creating a positive and fun work environment.
Encouraging a healthy work-life balance – Avoid burnout! Encourage work-life balance with flexible hours, remote options, or unlimited vacation. Boost productivity and creativity. Support mental health with counseling, meditation, or exercise. Happy employees are the heart of a fun work environment.

Creating a fun work environment is an ongoing effort for technology executives. Let’s cultivate a vibrant workspace where employees feel valued, appreciated, and excited. Cheers to a fun-filled future!

Should You Reprimand

Here’s another reason for tech execs to get to know their employees better. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder often associated with children and young adults, can persist into adulthood. If an employee consistently struggles with task completion, punctuality, and presenting content, they may be dealing with ADHD.

ADHD impairs executive function and self-regulation skills. It’s a common affliction but having it doesn’t mean an employee can’t excel. Recognition and a supportive environment are crucial for success. Employees may be unaware they have the disorder, but signs like difficulty concentrating, staying organized, and managing time are noticeable. It affects work and personal life.

Why is this important for a tech exec to understand? It was shown that many kids doing school virtually during the pandemic saw a significant drop in their GPA, even though these kids were top students. It was shown that many of these kids did not have peer stimulation, which helped them stay focused when they were live in school. Without the stimulation they could not pay attention and were easily distracted.

Now that the work world is in a hybrid environment, many employees still work virtually. Some tech execs want to bring people back to the office due to observed drops in performance. Instead of immediate disciplinary actions, consider their past history with the company. If they were previously good workers, they may not be suitable for the virtual world. Bring them into the office to engage with others and enhance their performance.

We don’t want employees using ADHD as an excuse for poor performance. But it’s something to consider before disciplining an employee who has had a good record of performance.

See more about ADHD here.

Coaching is a Key Tech Exec Skill

The accomplished tech executive participates in coaching and mentoring junior colleagues, imparting acquired skills. Establishing a thriving succession cultivates respect and a reputation as a seasoned technology leader. Technology advances rapidly, emphasizing the need for experienced leaders to mentor. Accomplished tech executives must excel in their roles and share expertise with newcomers.

Coaching is an essential aspect of career growth and development.

By mentoring, you shape the industry’s future by sharing your experience and insights. This not only benefits the individual mentee, but also contributes to the overall growth and success of the technology sector.

Besides coaching junior colleagues in your organization, it’s beneficial to share your expertise beyond your company. Engaging in industry events, speaking on panels, and writing articles help spread knowledge to a broader audience.

Increasing visibility for yourself and your company also enables networking with tech professionals and staying updated on the latest field developments. Active participation in the tech community establishes expertise and fuels growth and innovation.

Furthermore, mentorship can also be a mutually beneficial experience. As a mentor, you have the opportunity to learn from your mentees as well. Their fresh perspectives and unique insights can inspire new ideas and approaches, benefiting both career development and professional growth.

Coaching is a key tech exec skill to learn and embrace.

Some execs reach a stage in their career where they consider mentoring beneath them, but it should never be the case. Stay humble and maintain an open-door policy. Avoid intimidating your team; instead, be seen as someone who is eager to mentor and support their growth. Everyone strives for success, and your subordinates will respect you if you invest time in helping them.

Bottom line, really successful technology execs take the time to mentor and provide guidance to their teams. Ensuring your emerging leaders align with your thinking and operations helps build a strong, empowered leadership team. Coaching is a key tech exec skill.

Click here to see a post on why budding tech execs should find a good coach.

Body Language

I just returned from a face-to-face meeting with a client tech exec, and it feels fantastic to be engaging with clients in person again. One key insight I’ve gained from these meetings is the significance of non-verbal communication that we missed out on during virtual meetings on platforms like Zoom, Teams, or Webex. The subtle cues conveyed through body language can greatly impact our understanding and connection with clients.

Our meetings follow a hybrid format, with some joining remotely while others attend in person. During a recent session, I noticed an interesting dynamic between our technical Partner, who participated via Zoom, and the client. Being in the room provided unique insights that might have gone unnoticed. The Partner heavily relied on technical jargon to explain the proposed work, but it seemed that the audience was unresponsive. Every time technology acronyms were mentioned, the CIO subtly flinched and rolled his eyes. These reactions were evident to those present in the room.

Providing some context, we are currently developing a comprehensive “resiliency offering” that consolidates various concepts into a unified approach. It aims to address a wide range of challenges, while avoiding overemphasizing the offering for specific client needs like a DevOps platform assessment. Effective positioning is key. Resiliency encompasses incident management, site reliability engineering, disaster recovery, and more, all seamlessly integrated for uninterrupted service and consulting support. However, presenting this approach simply and without unnecessary complexity is vital. The client’s reaction is understandable; they believed we intentionally bundled and complicated components, potentially inflating costs.

Fortunately, the subtle expressions of disbelief did not go unnoticed, leading to a sincere and candid discussion with the Chief Information Officer during our dinner. Ultimately, we reached a consensus to shift our attention towards the core issue at hand and break down the aspects of resilience into manageable components that align with the client’s objectives.

The key is to effectively communicate your tech expertise in a way that resonates with the client’s business. Align your discussions with their specific issues. Instead of assuming the client will be impressed by our knowledge, focus on addressing their problem and providing a solution.