Lots more work, a little more pay
This year, midlevel managers find themselves in charge of more than ever before. Responsible for a near fivefold increase
in direct and indirect reports (up from an average of seven to 34), middle managers reported holding greater reign over the
enterprise. Those who describe themselves as final decision-makers increased by more than 50 percent in several technology
categories. With increases in average reported salary and bonus — 5.6 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively — midlevel IT
professionals are showing signs of benefiting from these opportunities, whether thrust upon them or taken on by choice.
For many, however, compensation gains have proved little more than a drop in the bucket. Seventy-four percent of those midlevel
managers who reported a raise cited a pay hike of less than 5 percent. These marginal adjustments pale in comparison to the
workloads heaped on IT departments in the form of regulatory compliance, datacenter consolidation, patch management, wireless
client maintenance, and the like.
More troubling, years of stagnant budgets and take-home pay appear to have eroded morale, resulting in an increase in the
number of managers open to new opportunities. In our survey, the average midlevel manager was 55 percent more likely to be
actively pursuing a change of work address than a year ago; altogether, one in seven IT middle managers has his or her eyes
on the door. Perhaps an indication of how some have felt about lower company prospects or ballooning workloads, 29 percent
of midlevel managers who reported a decrease in salary cited taking a position at another company by choice — a fivefold increase
from last year. This was the same percentage as those who took a position at another company due to a layoff. More striking,
13 percent of IT staff who received a pay cut did so by taking a different position at the same company — a practice not seen
a year ago.
Getting no respect
Tech professionals across the ranks are sounding off about a lack of appreciation from those at the company helm. Ten percent
more likely to feel upper management is missing the mark on IT than ever before, this year’s respondents appear to be questioning
how the corporate cold shoulder can possibly advance their ability to meet business goals. So alienated have IT departments
become that two-thirds of those who believe executive management undervalue their efforts cite an expense-minded approach
to IT as the problem. “IT has been on the backburner for the last four years for many companies,” says Tom Bates, a TEKsystems
desktop support specialist contracting at CIBA Specialty Chemicals. “Companies have long seen IT as a cost center draining
company resources.
”With regulatory compliance rearing its head, some IT departments doubt the rift will be mended. “The accountants and the
lawyers run this high-technology company,” says David Jurist, senior systems integration consultant at Avaya, citing Sarbanes-Oxley
as the culprit.
Perhaps more disturbing, senior managers — who have more influence over technology assessment, implementation, and procurement
than ever before — account for the largest shift among those who feel shortchanged. Forty-five percent expressed dissatisfaction
with the perceived value of IT, up from 37 percent in 2004.
Four in five senior managers cite executive management’s lack of understanding of technology as a primary reason for its undervaluing
IT. And with market success ever more tied to technological advancement and advantage, the fallout from this blind spot could
have widespread consequences. Among tech professionals in the business sector, 53 percent doubt their company’s technology
budget will prove adequate in supporting business goals, a sentiment exacerbated by an expected 6 percent dip in IT expenditures
in the sector in the coming year.
Exploring other opportunities
Whether a measure of perceived company prospects, years
of underappreciation, or distended workloads, tech professionals appear open to opportunities at other employers in increasing
numbers. With 23 percent of senior managers reporting hiring at higher salaries this year and only 19 percent anticipating
hiring freezes in the coming year, the job market looks as if it will provide alternative employment for those so inclined.
Word from the Monster Employment Index 2005 Q1 Report is that tech talent is once again in demand, as “many technology firms
that decided to trim jobs in leaner times are now finding they must hire to position themselves for growth.” If anything,
the uptick in openings suggests the cutthroat competition among candidates may someday subside, as hinted at by the 16 percent
drop in employers pointing to the job market as the reason they hire for less. Despite any ballyhoo announcing a job-market
thaw, many remain less than impressed.
“There’s a lot of talk about better times but not a lot of great opportunities,” says a prevention manager at a leading network
integrator, who sees most openings written for the perfect candidate at a bargain rate. “You know, the ones where they say
the right candidate will be a CCIE with 32 years C+ programming experience, top secret security clearance, and their own herd
of llamas — all to do entry-level help desk support for $30K.”Part of a group of 25 supporting 40,000 customer devices, this
prevention manager brings up another reason IT professionals have their eyes on the want ads. “I feel my job is only as secure
as the last miracle I’ve pulled off,” he says.
With one in four respondents still looking over his or her shoulder, the sense of job security among IT professionals remains
the same as it was last year. But with one in five employers projecting staff reductions in the coming year, these concerns
aren’t mere paranoia. Years of tight budgets have created a pervasive climate of uncertainty.
The sword of Damocles
Perhaps due to the pressure to do more with less, managers are one third more likely to cite issues with management and co-workers
as cause for concern. In an atmosphere rife with internal tension, many are looking outside the organization to offshoring.
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