Andrew Jackson, President

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

The good news this quarter is that the economy is improving and productivity is on the rise. The bad news is that, as one of the articles in this issue indicates, job hopping may be on the rise. According to Razor Suleman, a consultant who helps corporations increase employee motivation, there could be an exodus of top performers as the economy turns around.

Why does this happen? During times of financial stress, companies tend to lay off some people and heap work on those that remain. Awards, bonuses and perks are often cut. Morale suffers. The talented team you spent years training and building may stay loyal for a time, but sooner or later, competitors will be calling your best talent. They may be vulnerable to promises of more money or better perks. During a recession, rising stars can feel neglected because they are not seeing continuous progress in their careers.

Experts say that turnover is one of the biggest costs to a corporation, yet it's also one of the least understood costs. As the job market improves, we need to be certain that we understand the risks of turnover and what we can do to minimize it. We might ask ourselves a few questions, such as:MORE

HOT TECHNICAL TOPICS

Changing Economy Drives 8 Trends in IT Staffing

Although CIOs are optimistic about the future, market volatility is causing them to adjust their staffing models. According to David Foote of the consulting firm Foote Partners, many CIOs are moving in the direction of flexible staffing models that involve fewer full-time staff and more IT contractors. Typical services being outsourced today are networking, telecom, desktop and security services. Read more about the top trends in IT staffing. MORE

Do You Allow Work E-mail on Employees' iPhones?

As personal computing continues its migration to the mobile Internet, employees are beginning to demand mobility – starting with the ability to get work emails away from the office. MORE

Cloud Computing: Not Just a Passing Fad

In 10 years, cloud computing will be the main way we use technology, according to a survey by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center. Instead of using software running on a PC, a majority will work in Web-based applications such as Google Docs and in applications run from smart phones. MORE

Leading with the Brain in Mind: Integrating Technology with Leadership

Russ Yaquinto, MCC tells us that enlightened leaders understand that they need not solve every problem themselves. Neuroscience – the study of how the brain works – is helping today's leadership use effective collaboration and coaching to enable subordinates to reach peak performance and find creative solutions. MORE

Top Skills in Demand for 2010

Global Knowledge Inc., the IT and business skills training company, conducted a survey at the end of 2009 to determine the top IT skills that would be in demand in 2010. Project Management tops the list, as IT departments are feeling the pressure to show real ROI from technology investments. Read more for a list of other skills in high demand. MORE

Dying IT Skills

Global Knowledge also published a list of 10 IT skills that won't be in demand in the future. IT professionals whose main expertise is in COBOL, HTML and SNA may want to update their skills. Read more for other dying IT skills. MORE