IT Job Market May Improve in 2011

CareerBuilder surveyed IT managers in the United States in charge of hiring. The job site subcontracted the interview work with these IT managers out to Harris Interactive, which did surveys from November 15 through December 2, 2010.

When the numbers were all tabulated, 42 per cent of the managers contacted said they planned to add permanent, full-time IT people in 2011, up from only 32 per cent who said they would hire full-timers in the IT department a year ago. Sixty-six per cent said they will be increasing the compensation of their existing IT staff in 2011 – the average expected pay raise works out to 3 per cent – and 56 per cent of those polled said they were worried about losing their best employees as the economy continues to improve. Salaries for new positions are expected to go up by between 1 and 3 per cent.

Measurements and Curfews

Measurements without consequences (rewards and punishments) is like giving a teenager a curfew and then not enforcing it. After very short period of time it gets ignored.

The adage what gets measured gets done is incomplete. What gets rewarded gets repeated is more complete.

If you establish a measurement it needs consequences both good and bad; otherwise, it will be ignored. By the way, if you have a teenager and you give them a curfew and don’t enforce it, your teenage will ignore the curfew.

Where is the beef? Lean is just another buzzword.

I can’t help but think here we go again. So many people, especially those pesky consultants, jump right on the bandwagon. Here comes the books, the conference and especially those consultants. I am wondering where’s is the beef. I see a lot words (a lot of bun), but little beef in this new “lean” thing.

I am getting worn out working in an industry that goes from buzzword to buzzword. We are leaving Agile behind us and now turning towards “lean.” I know what lean means in regards to meat. It lean means without out fat or just the beef. I am not sure what it means in software other than defining what needs to be done.

I just got to ask, “Where’s is the beef?” Remember the Wendy’s Commercial from the 80’s.

I know, I know…here come all the emails full of buzzwords. How about trying to be more disciplined. How about trying to learn about the industry. How about moving an industry forward instead of jumping on the next buzzword and trying to make a buck from it.