Retention is clearly an issue for in the IT sector but organizations are doing little to address it, according to the retention and engagement survey released today by TEKsystems.

The survey found 9% of IT leaders and 12% of IT professionals expect people to stay with their employer for more than five years. Additionally, 34% of IT leaders and 29% of IT professionals have no specific expectations for how long an employee will stay with the company.

More than two-thirds of IT leaders, 67%, report retention is a challenge across all the skill sets they manage.

Both groups reported compensation is by far the top factor affecting retention. However, the survey also found IT professionals may not be aware of other benefits and programs that may make them stay longer and IT leaders may be unaware that benefits and programs meant to slow attrition are not being implemented.

“This data indicates that when it comes to retention, organizations are their own worst enemy,” said TEKsystems Research Manager Jason Hayman. “While they’re experiencing the pain of attrition, they’re not doing the work to improve retention.”

The survey asked, “Which of the following most impact an IT employee’s decision to stay with or leave their current employer?” IT leaders’ top five responses were:

1. Compensation: 82%
2. Career opportunity/advancement: 60%
3. Job security/company health: 43%
4. Benefits (e.g., health insurance, vacation): 42%
5. Immediate manager/supervisor quality: 36%

Comparatively, the top five responses from IT professionals were:

1. Compensation: 87%
2. Job security/company health: 56%
3. Benefits (e.g., health insurance, vacation): 55%
4. Career opportunity/advancement: 51%
5. Immediate manager/supervisor quality: 43%

“IT organizations have to first accept that workforce volatility is a reality,” Hayman said. “If they work to clearly articulate and implement a strong EVP [employee value proposition] that goes beyond compensation to encompass development and other factors, they can alleviate a significant portion of the pain. And if they don’t have the capability to deal with that reality, they may need to rethink their workforce planning strategy. Organizations that accept a ‘victim’s mentality’ will never progress to actually manage the situation.”

The findings represent the views of more than 400 IT leaders and 1,500 IT professionals. TEKsystems, part of the Allegis Group, is the largest IT staffing firm in the US.