IT Talent Trends 2022

The last two years have been a great experiment … but it’s not over yet.

Incorporate new ways of working into your business to build and keep the best team.

Over the past two years, organizations have ventured into unprecedented ways of working and supporting their employees, as they tried to maintain productivity through the pandemic. This experiment has made lasting changes to both business models and employee expectations, and these effects will continue to be seen long after we return to a “new normal.”

While the pandemic forced us to work differently for the past two years, looking forward, successful organizations will incorporate new ways of working into their business models – beyond simply having a remote work policy.

How we work, source roles, and develop talent continue to evolve as we navigate a different world with employees being more vocal in their desires, and leaders continue to play a key role.

The IT talent market will never be the same, and organizations must reevaluate their employee experience from the bottom up to successfully weather the shift to the new normal.

IT Talent Trends 2022

The pandemic has clarified employees’ needs and amplified their voices

If 2021 was about beginning to act on employee needs, 2022 will be about strategically examining each trend to ensure that the actions taken by the organization are more than lip service.

Employees have always been able to see through disingenuous attempts to engage them, but in 2022 the stakes are higher due to increased talent mobility.

Trends that were just starting to come into focus last year have established themselves as critical determinants of the employee experience in 2022.

2021			DEI: A Top Talent Objective	Remote Work Is Here to Stay	Uncertainty Unlocks Performance	A Shift in Skills Priorities	A Greater Emphasis on Wellbeing
2022	Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent Finding talent in a strained talent market requires a marketing approach. Posting a job description isn’t enough.	The (Not So) Great Resignation IT is faring better than other functions; however, specific industries need to pay attention.	Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions Good intentions are not enough.	Remote Work Is Here – Can Your Culture Adapt? The Great Experiment is over. Are leaders equipped to capitalize on its promises?		Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World Despite the need for remote team management training, it is still not happening.

What employees are looking for is changing

Superficial elements of traditional office culture were stripped away by the quick shift to a remote environment, giving employees the opportunity to reevaluate what truly matters to them in a job.

The biggest change from 2019 (pre-pandemic) to today is increases in the importance of culture, flexible/remote work, and work-life balance.

Organizations that fail to keep up with this shift in priorities will see the greatest difficulty in hiring and retaining staff.

As an employee, which of the following would be important to you when considering a potential employer?

	2019		2021
Flexible Work	n=275		n=206
Work-Life Balance	n=277		n=206
Culture	n=277		n=206
Source: Info-Tech Talent Trends Survey data collected in 2019 and 2021	Very Important Somewhat Important Not at All Important

IT’s top talent priorities in 2022

IT Talent Trends 2022

Look beneath the surface of the trends to navigate them successfully

Above Ground Focusing on what you see 'Above the line" won't solve the problem. Talent isn't a checklist.	Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent Finding talent in a strained talent market requires a marketing approach. Posting a job description isn't enough. The number of job openings increased to 11.4 million on the last business day of October, up from 10.6 million in September (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dec. 2021)	The (Not So) Great Resignation IT is faring better than other functions; however, specific industries need to pay attention. In September, in the US, 4.4 million people left their jobs. That number dropped to 4.2 million in October. (US Labor Stats, Dec. 2021) 30% of workers will likely switch jobs if they have to return to the office full time. (McKinsey, Dec. 2021)	Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions Good intentions are not enough. 95% of organizations are focusing on DEI. (2022 HR Trends Report) 48% of IT departments have delivered training on DEI over the past year.	Remote Work is Here. Can Your Culture Adapt? The Great Experiment is over. Are you equipped to capitalize on its promises? 85% of organizations saw the same or higher productivity during the pandemic. 91% of organizations are continuing remote work.	Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World Despite the need for remote team management training, it is still not happening. 72% of IT departments report high effectiveness at managing remote staff. Learning and development is IT's top priority.
Beneath the Surface For each trend, a strategic approach to get "under the line" will help form your response. Talent needs a holistic approach, as under the line everything is connected. If you are experiencing challenges in one area, analyzing data (e.g. engagement, exit surveys, effectiveness of DEI program and leader training) can help drive overall experience.	100% of job seekers cite culture as somewhat to very important. Only 40% of employers advertise culture in job postings.	70% of IT departments state voluntary turnover is less than 10% Top reasons for resignation are salary, development, and opportunity for innovative work. Resignation rates were higher in fields that had experienced extreme stress due to the pandemic (HBR, Dec. 2021)	Senior leadership is overestimating their own commitment to DEI. Most IT departments are not driving their own DEI initiatives. Without effectively measuring DEI practices, organizations will see 1.6x more turnover. (2022 HR Trends Report)	Senior leadership is not open to remote work in 23% of organizations. Without leadership support, employees will not buy into remote work initiatives. A remote work policy will not bring organizational benefits without employee buy-in.	75% of senior managers believe remote team management is highly effective, but only 60% of frontline staff agree. Training focuses on technical skills, to the exclusion of soft skills, including management and leadership.
Solutions Recommendations depending on your department's maturity level.	Attention is required for candidate experience underpinned by a realistic employee value proposition.	Gather and review existing data (e.g. early retirements, demographics) to understand your turnover rate.	Use employee engagement tools to gauge employee sentiment among impacted groups and build out an engagement strategy to meet those needs.	Conduct a cultural assessment to reveal hidden biases that may stand in the way of remote work efficacy.	Provide management training on performance management and development coaching.

This report is based on organizations just like yours

Survey timeline = October 2021
Total respondents = 245 IT professionals

01	United States	45%	08	Middle East	2%
02	Canada	23%	09	Other (Asia)	2%
03	Africa	8%	10	Germany	1%
04	Great Britain	6%	11	India	1%
05	Latin America, South America or Caribbean	4%	12	Netherlands	1%
06	Other (Europe)	4%	13	New Zealand	1%
07	Australia	2%			(N-245)

(n=191)

This report is based on organizations just like yours

Industry

Info-Tech IT Maturity Model

(n=225)

Innovator – Transforms the Business Reliable Technology Innovation Business Partner – Expands the Business Effective Execution Projects, Strategic Use of Analytics and Customer Technology Trusted Operator – Optimizes Business Effective Fulfillment of Work Orders, Functional Business Applications, and Reliable Data Quality Firefighter – Supports the Business Reliable Infrastructure and IT Service Desk Unstable – Struggles to Support Inability to Provide Reliable Business Services

This report is based on people just like you

Which of the following ethnicities (ethnicity refers to a group with a shared or common identity, culture, and/or language) do you identify with? Select all that apply.	What gender do you identify most with?
(N=245)	(n=228)

This report is based on people just like you

What is your sub-department of IT?	Which title best describes your position?
(n=227)	(N=245)

IT Talent Trends 2022

Each trend is introduced with key questions you can ask yourself to see how your department fares in that area.

The report is based on statistics from a survey of 245 of your peers.

It includes recommendations of next steps and a key metric to track your success.

It lists Info-Tech resources that you, as a member, can leverage to begin your journey to improve talent management in your department.

The report is based on data gathered from Info-Tech Research Group’s 2022 IT Talent Trends Survey. The data was gathered in September and October of 2021.

Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent

Trend 1 | The Battle to Find and Keep Talent

As the economy has stabilized, more jobs have become available, creating a job seeker’s market. This is a clear sign of confidence in the economy, however fragile, as new waves of the pandemic continue.

Info-Tech Point of View

Recruiting tactics are an outcome of a well-defined candidate experience and employee value proposition.

Introduction

	During our interviews, members that focused on sharing their culture with a strong employee value proposition were more likely to be successful in hiring their first-choice candidates.
	Questions to ask yourself Do you have a well-articulated employee value proposition? Are you using your job postings to market your company culture? Have you explored multiple channels for posting jobs to increase your talent pool of candidates?

47% of respondents are hiring external talent to fill existing gaps, with 40% using external training programs to upgrade current employees. (Info-Tech IT Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

In October, the available jobs (in the USA) unexpectedly rose to 11 million, higher than the 10.4 million experts predicted. (CNN Business, 2021)

Where has all the talent gone?

IT faces multiple challenges when recruiting for specialized talent

Talent scarcity is focused in areas with specialized skill sets such as security and architecture that are dynamic and evolving faster than other skill sets.

“It depends on what field you work in,” said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson. “There were labor shortages in those fields pre-pandemic and two years forward, there is even more demand for people with those skills” (CNBC, 19 Nov. 2021).

37% of IT departments are outsourcing roles to fill internal skill shortages. (Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Roles Difficult to Fill

(Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Case Study: Using culture to drive your talent pool

This case study is happening in real time. Please check back to learn more as Goddard continues to recruit for the position.

Recruiting at NASA

Goddard Space Center is the largest of NASA’s space centers with approximately 11,000 employees. It is currently recruiting for a senior technical role for commercial launches. The position requires consulting and working with external partners and vendors.

NASA is a highly desirable employer due to its strong culture of inclusivity, belonging, teamwork, learning, and growth. Its culture is anchored by a compelling vision, “For the betterment of Humankind,” and amplified by a strong leadership team that actively lives their mission and vision daily.

Firsthand lists NASA as #1 on the 50 most prestigious internships for 2022.

Rural location and no flexible work options add to the complexity of recruiting

The position is in a rural area of Eastern Shore Virginia with a population of approximately 60,000 people, which translates to a small pool of candidates. Any hire from outside the area will be expected to relocate as the senior technician must be onsite to support launches twice a month. Financial relocation support is not offered and the position is a two-year assignment with the option of extension that could eventually become permanent.

“Looking for a Talent Unicorn; a qualified, experienced candidate with both leadership skills and deep technical expertise that can grow and learn with emerging technologies.”

Steve Thornton
Acting Division Chief, Solutions Division,
Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

Case Study: Using culture to drive your talent pool

A good brand overcomes challenges

Culture takes the lead in NASA's job postings, which attract a high number of candidates. Postings begin with a link to a short video on working at NASA, its history, and how it lives its vision. The video highlights NASA's diversity of perspectives, career development, and learning opportunities.

NASA's company brand and employer brand are tightly intertwined, providing a consistent view of the organization.

The employer vision is presented in the best place to reach NASA's ideal candidate: usajobs.gov, the official website of the United States Government and the “go-to” for government job listings. NASA also extends its postings to other generic job sites as well as LinkedIn and professional associations.

Interview with Robert Leahy
Chief Information Officer
Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

“Making sure we have the tools and mechanisms are two hiring challenges we are going to face in the future as how we work evolves and our work environment changes. What will we need to consider with our job announcements and the criteria for selecting employees?”

Liteshia Dennis,
Office Chief, Headquarter IT Office, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

The ability to attract and secure candidates requires a strategy

Despite prioritizing recruiting, IT departments see candidate experience as THE last Priority, either not focusing on it or relegating it to HR

Candidate experience is listed as one of the bottom IT challenges, but without a positive experience, securing the talent you want will be difficult.

Candidate experience starts with articulating your unique culture, benefits, and opportunities for development and innovative work as well as outlining flexible working options within an employer brand. Defining an employee value proposition is key to marketing your roles to potential employees.

81% of respondents' rate culture as very important when considering a potential employer. (Info-Tech IT Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Tactics Used in Job Postings to Position the Organization Favorably as a Potential Employer

(Info-Tech IT Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Case Study: Increasing talent pool at Info-Tech Research Group

Strong sales leads to growth in operation capacity

Info-Tech Research Group is an IT research & advisory firm helping IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. Our actionable tools and analyst guidance ensure IT organizations achieve measurable results.

The business has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, creating a need to recruit additional talent who were highly skilled in technical applications and approaches.

In response, approval was given to expand headcount within Research for fiscal year 2022 and to establish a plan for continual expansion as revenue continues to grow.

Looking for deep technical expertise with a passion for helping our members

Hiring for our research department requires talent who are typically subject matter experts within their own respective IT domains and interested in and capable of developing research and advising clients through calls and workshops.

This combination of skills, experience, and interest can be challenging to find, especially in an IT labor market that is more competitive than ever.

Interview with Practice Lead Tracy-Lynn Reid

Focus on Candidate Experience increases successful hire rate

The senior leadership team established a project to focus on recruiting for net-new and open roles. A dedicated resource was assigned and used guidance from our research to enhance our hiring process to reduce time to hire and expand our candidate pool. Senior leaders stayed actively involved to provide feedback.

The hiring process was improved by including panel interviews with interview protocols and a rubric to evaluate all candidates equitably.

The initial screening conversation now includes a discussion on benefits, including remote and flexible work offerings, learning and development budget, support for post-secondary education, and our Buy-a-Book program.

As a result, about 70% of the approved net-new headcount was hired within 12 weeks, with recruitment ongoing.

What's Next?

Finding talent will be the major challenge in 2022, overtaking the discussion of the Great Resignation

Organizations will continue to struggle to find the talent they need, and this will be complicated by IT skills that are in demand across many industries. Further complications will also come from evolving legislation around unemployment insurance, particularly in the US. Some states have already passed legislation that will work against companies' vaccine policies, allowing employees who are not vaccinated to access government benefits as a response to federal COVID-19 relief programs ending.

Early Steps:

Start recruiting efforts by mapping out your end-to-end sourcing-recruitment-hiring process to pinpoint problem areas.

Review the diversity of your talent pool.

Intermediate:

Know your competition for talent and their EVP.

Align skills development with organizational strategy to ensure you are future-proofing your existing talent.

Advanced:

Include culture as part of your sourcing and recruitment strategy through a well-defined employee value proposition.

Key metrics:

• Time to fill
• Candidate pipeline leakage – where in the process do you lose candidates?
• Newly hired employee satisfaction with recruitment experience

Info-Tech resources

Recruit IT Talent

Recruit and Retain More Women in IT

Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT

Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT Webinar

The (Not So) Great Resignation

Trend 2 | Managing retention

Provide an employee experience that is driven by culture and purpose.

Info-Tech Point of View

There are specific industries that are experiencing higher than normal resignation numbers. Caution against generalizing and understand how your own industry may be impacted with data to drive solutions.

Introduction

Movement in the job market (new jobs posted, voluntary turnover) can indicate an increased confidence in the economy. During the pandemic, both employees and employers were focused on stability to ensure lifestyle or survival and managing through the uncertainty. According to HBR (2021), “while resignations decreased slightly in industries such as manufacturing and finance, 3.6% more health care employees quit their jobs than in the previous year, and in tech, resignations increased by 4.5%. In general, we found that resignation rates were higher among employees who worked in fields that had experienced extreme increases in demand due to the pandemic, likely leading to increased workloads and burnout.” Different retention and attraction tactics should be employed based on your industry and region.

Questions to ask yourself Has the number of resignations changed from before the pandemic to now? What reasons are employees providing for resigning? Have they changed from before the pandemic? Where is your talent going? Another industry? Remote opportunity? More innovative work?

• According to US Labor Stats, 4.4 million people left their jobs in the US in September.
• That dropped to 4.2 million in October.
• IT is faring better according to survey results, with 70% stating voluntary turnover is less than 10% compared to 47% stating it is above 10% at the organization level.
(Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

~30% of workers will likely switch jobs if they must return to working fully onsite according to McKinsey (2021).

Top reasons for resignation cited in the Talent Trends Survey are development, opportunity for innovative work, and salary.

Estimated voluntary turnover

The great resignation isn’t impacting it as much as you may think

According to survey results, IT is faring better, with lower turnover than the organization as a whole. Voluntary turnover is less than 10% for 70% of IT departments while for the rest of the organization the percentage drops to 53% stating it is under 10%.

In analysis of data from the US Bureau of Labor, Indeed Hiring Lab (2021) found that Leisure and Hospitality quit rates are up 43% and "other services" experienced quit rates up 41% since February 2020.

HBR (2021) states “resignation rates were higher among employees who worked in fields that had experienced extreme increases in demand due to the pandemic, likely leading to increased workloads and burnout.”

70% of IT states turnover is under 10% (Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Senior IT leaders working in industries with higher resignation rates will need to pay closer attention as IT skills are transferable to other industries.

(n=163)

(n=152)

Reasons for resignations

Reasons people leave an organization are different from the reasons they will join one

In the Talent Trends Survey, 57% identified salary and compensation as the reason employees resigned.

Professional development and opportunity for innovative work are in the top three, indicating that when employees feel stagnant in their role they will look elsewhere for opportunities.

Work culture comes in fourth and represents espoused behaviors, from how people treat each other to how the company supports growth and learning.

Culture is frequently referenced when speaking about how people collaborate, which is a component of many of the reasons for leaving cited by resigning staff: DEI, work-life balance, flexible work, and innovation.

Caution: Salary is a satisfaction driver, not an engagement driver. Salary must be fair according to market and industry conditions before exploring motivation drivers. (Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

What's Next?

Understand your Human data

A small amount of turnover is healthy, however, reviewing your turnover rates will identify whether there is a trend that requires managing.

Learning and development and opportunity to do innovative work rank in the top three reasons why employees are leaving. IT leaders have a responsibility to provide development opportunities for their employees to ensure their skills stay relevant in an ever-changing tech world.

Early Steps:

Gather and review existing data to understand your turnover rate (early retirements, demographics).

Review exit interviews to determine root causes.

Intermediate:

Determine where your talent may be going (it may not be where you expect it). IT skills sets are transferrable to other industries.

Conduct stay interviews to understand what current employees appreciate about working in your department.

Advanced:

Are you using contractors to supplement skill shortages? Identify what skills are being hired in and create plans to transfer knowledge to existing employees.

Use employee engagement tools to gauge employee sentiment and build out an engagement strategy.

Key metrics:

• Voluntary turnover rate
• Voluntary turnover of high potentials
• Engagement results as a leading indicator of anticipated increases in turnover

Info-Tech resources

Implement an IT Employee Development Plan

Stay Interview Guide

Build an IT Employee Engagement Program

Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions

Trend 3 | Good intentions are not enough

Having DEI polices in place is only the beginning. Meaningful change and conversations need to take place before they will have a lasting effect.

Info-Tech Point of View

IT departments must be ready to work with HR to take ownership of any shortcomings related to DEI within their department.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Good intentions are not enough

Organizations have recognized the importance of diversity in the workforce and have taken first steps toward improving. Without a culture of DEI being embraced by all departments and levels of leadership, organizations are likely to see the end goal of DEI fail to materialize. There is a disparity between how senior leaders, of which our survey respondents identified as 65% white, are evaluating their own commitment to DEI practices and how it is being seen by those impacted. Senior leadership needs to ask itself if it is genuinely interested in tackling the problem with impactful DEI initiatives through seriously challenging commonly held beliefs and self-reflection. Or, if DEI is nothing but a set of perfunctory polices. Employees can tell the difference.

Questions to ask yourself Is IT involved with DEI initiatives? Are you measuring the effectiveness of your DEI programs? Is your senior leadership accountable for modeling inclusive behaviors?

According to the 2022 HR Trends Report from McLean & Company, 95% of organizations report that DEI is an area of organizational focus.

Thirty-three percent of IT departments have reported delivering training on DEI over the past year.

Time and resources continue to be a barrier to implementing DEI Initiatives.

Senior leadership is overestimating their own commitment to modeling inclusive behavior.

Job seekers are looking for a culture of DEI in potential employers, but DEI is the second lowest priority for IT departments.

Most IT departments are not driving their own DEI initiatives.

Without the drive to effectively measure the success of DEI initiatives within IT, organizations are likely to see 1.6x more turnover and fail in attracting diverse talent (McLean & Company Report).

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Organizations are not doing as well as they think they are

White respondents rated the effectiveness of their DEI practices much higher than those impacted by said policies, implying that organizations and senior leadership are not evaluating their DEI initiatives beyond superficial elements.

While white respondents indicated that senior leadership is modeling inclusive behaviors, the results say otherwise. Impacted groups must be included in the conversation to determine how well an organization is living up to its stated goals.

How would you describe your organization's DEI practices?

(n=245)

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

The effectiveness of DEI training is being underestimated

Despite DEI’s importance to potential job seekers, only 33% of organizations reported that they provided DEI training over the past year and only 24% of leaders think that more DEI training is required.

The effectiveness of DEI training is being underestimated, because senior leaders and organizations feel they are on the right path with their current DEI strategy.

Our recommendation is to link DEI training to department goals and strategy so that everyone involved can see the value it provides to themselves and the organization.

Respondents were asked:
On which topics has your IT department offered training over the past year? On which topics do you believe more training is required?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

IT needs to get involved

According to respondents, most IT departments do not run department-focused IT initiatives. IT departments need to take ownership of DEI to drive meaningful change.

Historically, the demographics of IT departments have shown a pattern of less diversity than the greater organization. Without department-focused DEI initiatives, IT will struggle to keep up with the rest of the organization.

Has IT implemented department-specific DEI initiatives internally?

(n=213)

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Map your DEI Initiatives to IT department priorities to see success

Innovation continues to be a high-priority challenge for IT departments, but despite the correlation between innovation and diversity, DEI practices are the second-lowest priority.

Job seekers of all demographics continue to look for DEI practices in potential employers, and organizations that are not focused on DEI practices are likely to see 1.6x more turnover and fail in attracting diverse talent.

IT departments need to show that DEI practices have a direct impact on departmental or organizational goals such as innovation and recruitment and retention.

(n=227)

What's Next?

Having DEI polices in place is only the beginning; Meaningful change and conversations need to take place before they will have a lasting effect

IT departments must be ready to work with HR to take ownership of any shortcomings related to DEI within their department.

Remember that effective DEI polices are not just good philanthropy but correlate to increased IT effectiveness and an innovative work environment.

“(DEI) is impacted by things outside of corporate life. It comes down to education, schooling, socio-economic drivers, policies, and things that countries as a whole need to fix. And we won’t just get there by putting band-aid fixes on a corporate level.” (Gary Boyd, Vice President and Portfolio Advisor)

Early Steps:

Use employee engagement tools to gauge employee sentiment among impacted groups and build out an engagement strategy to meet those needs.

Review your recruitment metrics to identify where you have significant drops in candidate diversity.

Intermediate:

Evaluate your employee value proposition to make sure you are positioning yourself as an employer that values and delivers on diversity.

Adopt the practice of evaluating inclusive behaviors during performance reviews for leaders.

Advanced:

Identify and correct pay inequities for impacted groups.

Encourage and support employees in forming employee resource groups (ERGs) for peer support and empowerment.

Key metrics:

• Increased engagement of groups impacted by DEI practices

Info-Tech resources

IT Cultural Transformation Center

Women in Tech: Leadership Workshop

Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT

Recruit and Retain More Women in IT

Remote Work Is Here – Can Your Culture Adapt?

Trend 4 | The Great Experiment is over. Are leaders equipped to capitalize on its promises?

With most organizations embarking on a hybrid work model, leadership must ensure this change is supported by the organization’s culture.

Info-Tech Point of View

Remote (and hybrid) work is becoming a must-have for organizations looking to attract the best IT talent. Ensure it is accompanied by a culture supportive of remote work to fully realize its benefits.

Remote work is here – can your culture adapt?

The Great Experiment is over. Are leaders equipped to capitalize on its promises?

In 2020, most organizations were plunged into a pilot: forced remote work, sink or swim. We swam. Productivity has been maintained and remote work has been a hit with employees. Most organizations are acquiescing to employee requests and continuing with some form of hybrid or remote work options. But there is more to this story. Senior leadership is not convinced. According to the 2022 IT Talent Trends Survey, 91% of organizations plan to offer remote work, but 23% of leaders are not open to the idea at all. This is a problem, because leadership sets the organizational culture, and values need to be lived in the day to day. Without leadership buy-in, organizational culture will not change to enable remote and in-office work to coexist effectively. And without the cultural change to accompany shifting to a remote work environment, neither employees nor organizations will realize the anticipated benefits.

Questions to ask yourself Are you changing your remote work policies in response to the pandemic? Have you considered how remote work will impact your department’s culture?

• Remote work during the pandemic led to the same or higher productivity.
• Most organizations are continuing remote work long term.
• Organizations will realize benefits including productivity, costs, and recruitment.

In the IT Talent Trends Survey, 23% of respondents report their senior leadership is not open to remote work. However…

• Without leadership buy-in, organizational culture will not support remote workers.
• Without cultural change, employees will not buy into remote work initiatives.

A remote work policy is no guarantee – without employee buy-in, organizational benefits will not be realized.

Leaders must embrace remote work

Remote work has been a long time coming, and it is here to stay. Pre-pandemic, 49% of employees rated flexible work as being “very important” in choosing an employer (Info-Tech, 2020 IT Talent Trend Report). Going into lockdowns, remote work was already becoming a key part of the employee value proposition for IT. Not a post-pandemic fad, remote work is the natural, if accelerated, evolution of work culture in a digital world.

Going into 2022, 76% of employees rate remote/flexible work as being “very important” in choosing an employer. And most respondents believe that the majority of roles in IT are capable of being performed remotely.

However, 23% of respondents report that their organization’s senior leadership is not open to some degree of remote work. Pre-pandemic, this meant their organization could not differentiate itself by offering remote work options. Post-pandemic, it will be a significant barrier to hiring and retention. Remote work is no longer optional. Leaders must embrace the “new normal.”

How open is your organization's senior leadership to the option of some roles being performed remotely on a permanent basis?
(n=204)

Approximately what percentage of roles in IT are capable of being performed remotely permanently?
(n-207)

Remote work challenges are surmountable

Research has consistently shown that the challenges of remote work are surmountable, and most organizations were forced to see this in practice during lockdowns: 85% of organizations report a similar or higher level of productivity compared to before remote work was implemented. Organizations are now equipped with virtual collaboration software to rise to the challenge of remote communication.

(n=188)

(n=199)

Remote work challenges are surmountable

Of those surveyed, 91% of organizations anticipate continuing remote work to some degree, although it is important to note that 87% are implementing a hybrid approach – a blend of remote and in-office collaboration.

Organizations that successfully implement some degree of remote work see a continuation of its benefits as a main driver, including increased productivity and engagement, reduced facilities costs, and improved ability to hire and retain talent.

(n=199)

(n-207)

Remote work helps organizations acquire and retain talent

Of those surveyed, 33% of IT departments rank recruiting as their number one challenge. Possibly the biggest immediate impact of remote work policies – and supportive culture – will be felt in this domain. Remote work and work-life balance have risen in priority for candidates.

Organizations that are able to offer these will come out ahead in recruiting the best talent. Organizations that can back their promises with a solid culture around remote work and support from leadership will be the ones to retain their hires.

As an employee, which of the following would be important to you in considering a potential employer?
In 2019		In 2021
n=275		n=206
n=277		n=206

What's Next?

Remote employees and hybrid workplaces will be a main feature in the post-pandemic IT world

Organizations must optimize their processes for these new ways of working if they hope to stay competitive in the war for talent. Simply providing remote work options is not enough – employees can still be driven away by a lack of supportive culture around remote work.

Early Steps:

If your organization is not currently offering remote work, conduct a feasibility assessment.

As you expand your remote work policies, implement employee engagement measures to ensure the policies are meeting employees’ needs.

Intermediate:

Offer hybrid team management training to your leadership team.

Build remote work into your employee value proposition.

Advanced:

Conduct a cultural assessment to reveal hidden biases that may stand in the way of remote work efficacy.

Key metrics:

• Increased employee engagement

Info-Tech resources

Hybrid Workplace Research Center

Equip Managers to Effectively Manage Remote Teams

Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World

Trend 5 | Remote work has forever changed how teams function. Are your managers ready?

The expansion of remote work presents new challenges for managers, from managing remote employees’ productivity to building team connectedness in the age of videoconferences. Organizations must ensure managers have the right skills to manage these new ways of working effectively.

Info-Tech Point of View

IT departments must devote part of their learning and development efforts to supporting managers’ skills. The time for “sink or swim” is over – managers in the “new normal” need support from their organizations to optimize IT team effectiveness.

Managing in the new normal

Are you doing as well as you think?

Developing IT staff and enabling innovation are top challenges for IT. Nothing – and no one – else in the organization has as strong an impact on these as each employee’s direct manager. Moving into the new post-pandemic way of work, managers must be equipped to effectively manage remote and hybrid teams and adapt to changing employee concerns. Confidence in productivity monitoring is no longer optional when seeing workers at their desks is not possible. Without an effective management layer, the promised benefits of remote work will not materialize. Organizations must therefore correctly identify the skill needs of their managers and provide appropriate and timely training. Although most organizations recognize the importance of training, many are missing the mark by focusing too much on technical certifications and not enough on the critical soft skills that hold teams together.

Questions to ask yourself Is your organization new to remote work? Are your managers comfortable leading remote and hybrid teams? Is your performance management process equally effective in onsite and remote settings?

Managers are critical to team development, effectiveness, and culture – top IT priorities.

Managers have stepped up to the new normal: 72% of respondents report their IT department is very effective at managing remote staff.

IT holds learning and development as a top priority, positioning it to meet the challenges of new ways of working.

Frontline staff rate remote management effectiveness lower than managers or senior leaders.

Training provided focuses on technical skills, to the exclusion of soft skills, including management and leadership.

Remote team management ability correlates with departmental effectiveness, making it a critical skill for the near future.

In the 2022 IT Talent Trends Survey, 22% of respondents say their organizations have increased productivity monitoring of employees, but this must be integrated into a solid performance management framework to be useful.

Managers have never been more critical to IT success

Management skill is essential to team effectiveness post-pandemic. Two of IT’s top three priority challenges are enabling innovation and providing a great employee experience. Both are directly dependent on managers’ skill in leading their team. Culture is the single most important consideration when choosing an employer, with 81% of respondents citing it as being “very important.”

The post-pandemic world poses new management and leadership challenges. IT skills are always changing, but the pandemic has shifted the skills spotlight to managers. Changes in the ways of working, remote work, and the stress of the health crisis have meant that managers have had to step up as people leaders.

With 91% of organizations planning to continue remote work, the leadership challenges of the past year are here to stay. Maintaining team connectedness and culture has never been so critical. Are IT departments prepared to support their managers?

Top 3 priority IT challenges (by average rank)
(n=227)

As an employee, which of the following would be important to you in considering a potential employer?
(n=245)

Continued effort is the only way to ensure management skills keep up with demand

Managing remotely is proving successful, but there is more work to be done. When rating the effectiveness of managing remote teams in the 2022 IT Talent Trends Survey, frontline staff report seeing lower effectiveness compared to managers and leaders. The majority still agree that these skills are effective, but this doesn’t mean they will stay that way. As organizations refine their remote or hybrid work implementations, the skill of your competition’s leadership will grow, as will employee expectations.

Concerns frequently cited by staff include:

• Preferential treatment of employees who work onsite
• Lack of direction on goals and development from their manager
• Difficulty unplugging after work

As organizations evolve to address these concerns, those who fail to keep up will face greater challenges with recruitment and retention.

Rate the effectiveness of your IT department in managing employees that work remotely.

Frontline (n=15)

Middle Management (n=50)

Senior Management (n=125)

Continued effort is the only way to ensure management skills keep up with demand

Learning and development is IT’s top priority, and significant resources are being spent in this space. However, our data suggests that these resources are not being optimally allocated.

When respondents were asked where more training is required, compared to where training has been provided, mismatches emerged in several key domains. Technical training and certifications were provided by 76% of organizations; however, only 54% of leaders thought more training was required, suggesting that this has long been the focus for many IT organizations and that IT departments may be starting to see diminishing returns.

On the other hand, the demand for training in soft skills, especially related to management, is still not being met. More training is required in:

• General leadership
• Managing remote teams
• Ways of working
• Career development

Organizations must ensure that training covers the full spectrum of employee development needs, paying special attention to the unique needs of managers.

Performance management is critical to team effectiveness in the new normal

Performance management is the foundation for effective management of remote staff. It allows both staff and managers to achieve clarity on goals, eliminating the need for micromanagement. Among the benefits are increased morale and productivity, and departments that manage remote staff effectively see greater overall IT effectiveness.

IT departments must ensure they provide their managers with appropriate training in performance management best practices. While 22% of organizations report a significant increase in productivity monitoring post-pandemic, the success of these tools hinges on managers’ ability to use them. Monitoring employees’ “online” status is no more effective than the age-old reliance on seeing them physically present in the office. Neither is an effective measure of productivity, and neither conveys trust in the team.

Effective performance management is as much about a shift in mindset as it is about the tools. The focus must be on the outcome, rather than the process of getting the job done.

“For the past 40 years, work has been somewhere you’ve got to go, rather than something you do.” (Tim Dunn, Chief Information Officer, Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works)

With effective performance management, location ceases to matter. This ensures on- and offsite staff can be managed equally, leading to success on both fronts and eliminating the perception of preferential treatment for either group.

Performance management effectiveness correlates with overall IT effectiveness
(n=35)

Have you seen an increase in productivity monitoring (e.g. data on employee activity) in the IT department since COVID-19?
(n=180)

What's Next?

Learning and Development is rightly a top priority for IT. In 2022, it needs to include a strong focus on leadership and management skills to facilitate the transition to a new post-pandemic way of working.

Managers will especially need support with performance management in a hybrid environment, to ensure performance is accurately assessed even for remote workers and that no inequality exists in the process between on- and offsite employees.

Early Steps:

Create or revise your performance management process to include accurate outcome metrics. Provide management training on performance management and development coaching.

Intermediate:

Involve teams in building out new processes for hybrid work. Implement an employee engagement survey or 360 assessment for managers.

Advanced:

Optimize your team effectiveness with a cultural assessment and targeted culture strategy.

Key metrics:

• Uptake on provided training programs; team productivity

Info-Tech resources

Build a Better Manager: Manage Your People

IT Leadership Training

Equip Managers to Effectively Manage Remote Teams

Set Meaningful Employee Performance Measures

Contributors

• 245 survey respondents
• Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA:
  • Robert Leahy, Chief Information Officer
  • Liteshia Dennis, Acting Director, HQ IT Operations Office
  • Matthew Dosberg, Digital Transformation & Innovation Lead / Acting Associate Division Chief, Solutions Division
  • Steve Thornton, Acting Division Chief, Solutions Division
  • William Truxon, Associate Chief, Computer & Communication Division
  • Charlene Butler, Associate & Acting Chief, Information & Technical Programs
  • Caroline Ardolini, Chief Computing and Communications Division
  • Michelle Wockenfuss, Deputy CIO
• Gary Boyd, Vice President and Portfolio Advisor
• Tim Dunn, Chief Information Officer, Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works
• Kristen Thurber, Donaldson Company
• Ian Tyler-Clarke, ISG
• Tim Rogers, ISG
• Brent Baker, American Foods Group
• Don Barber, Lamb Weston
• James Wollenweber, Oregon Employment Dept.
• Julie Johnson, Mutual Benefit Group
• David Reinknecht, Prudential Fixed Income
• Dan Cater, Dakota County
• Chuck Williams, City of Chesapeake
• Christoph Egel, Cooper Tire
• Jason Ditzenberger, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
• Anitha Reddy, Qurate Retail Group
• Donna Dineley, Allegheny County

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