Dive Brief:

• IT workers have the lowest intent to stay in their jobs compared to all corporate functions, according to Gartner data released Wednesday. The Gartner Global Labor Market Survey polled 18,000 global employees, including 1,755 IT workers. 
• Tech workers, who are in high-demand across industry sectors, are 10.2% less likely to stay in their current positions when compared to non-IT employees. Globally, less than one in three tech workers say they have a high intent to stay with their current employer.
• Intent to stay can vary by age. Just 20% of IT workers between 18 and 29 years old have a high likelihood of staying, compared to half of workers between 50 and 70 years old.

Dive Insight:

CIOs kicked off 2022 with large IT budgets and big plans for digital transformation. One constant painpoint holding them back is the ability to attract and retain talent, as IT skills remain in high demand across industry verticals.

Official labor data depicts industries broadly need talent and demand far exceeds supply. Tech occupations throughout the economy grew by 1,000 positions in February, according to the recent CompTIA review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Tech roles across industries have grown in five of the past six months.

Tech role postings also grew by more than 50,000 since the previous month, reaching 388,000.

To retain tech workers in this climate, leaders need to give employees an opportunity to get their hands on the latest technology, said Michael Ringman, CIO at Telus International, in a January interview with CIO Dive. But a broader strategy addresses career-mapping, he said.

"It's also important to help show team members career paths through technology so that they understand that there is an opportunity to continue to move forward," said Ringman. "Helping nurture their careers as they continue to go forward is important to their overall tenure within your organization."

Leaders see a connection between talent dynamics and their ability to reach their company's economic goals. Over three-quarters of business leaders (77%) say talent attraction and retention is key for growth, a PwC survey found. 

Amid high talent demand, CIOs stand at the epicenter of worker retention worries, said Graham Waller, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, in a release.

"We’ve heard of IT organizations implementing back-to-the-office policies only to face mass resignations and have to reverse course," said Waller. "CIOs may need to advocate for more flexibility in work design than the rest of the enterprise, as IT employees are more likely to leave, in greater demand and more adept at remote working than most other employees."