Lexington, KY - This week, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released State IT Workforce: Facing Reality with Innovation, surveying the current landscape of the state Information Technology workforce and details innovative techniques state IT agencies are using to recruit and retain both entry level and highly skilled personnel. The study found that over 90 percent of government respondents said a state’s salary rates and pay grade structures present a challenge in attracting and retaining IT talent.
“What intensifies the severity of this response is that, in the 2011 NASCIO workforce report, 78.6 percent answered yes [to the same question],” said Meredith Ward, senior policy analyst at NASCIO and author of the report.
The association previously released reports on IT workforce in 2007 and 2011. But in 2015, "human resources/talent management" made NASCIO’s “Top Ten” list of CIO priorities again for the first time in several years, causing the organization to re-examine the issue.
“We know that states face recruiting difficulties because of several issues and a big one can be public perception of state public service,” said Ward.
In fact, 86 percent of states are having difficulty recruiting new employees to fill vacant IT positions, according to the report, and 46 percent of states report that it is taking three to five months to fill senior level IT positions.
But states that innovate have a better chance of getting and keeping the IT talent they need, the report states.
“Consolidation and restructuring the IT organization has created tremendous opportunities to retain top talent,” according to the report.
“States have and will continue to be creative,” said Ward “One CIO described putting an emphasis on training, professional development and the career ladder, whether or not that career is with their department. They encourage professional development and have found many are seeking to grow and stay, not leave.”
For the full report: http://www.nascio.org/workforce/
The association previously released reports on IT workforce in 2007 and 2011. But in 2015, "human resources/talent management" made NASCIO’s “Top Ten” list of CIO priorities again for the first time in several years, causing the organization to re-examine the issue.
“We know that states face recruiting difficulties because of several issues and a big one can be public perception of state public service,” said Ward.
In fact, 86 percent of states are having difficulty recruiting new employees to fill vacant IT positions, according to the report, and 46 percent of states report that it is taking three to five months to fill senior level IT positions.
But states that innovate have a better chance of getting and keeping the IT talent they need, the report states.
“Consolidation and restructuring the IT organization has created tremendous opportunities to retain top talent,” according to the report.
“States have and will continue to be creative,” said Ward “One CIO described putting an emphasis on training, professional development and the career ladder, whether or not that career is with their department. They encourage professional development and have found many are seeking to grow and stay, not leave.”
For the full report: http://www.nascio.org/workforce/
