Given current economic conditions and a volatile tech sector, Canadian IT professionals perceive job security as being more important than salary.
This was one finding of the 2002 High-Tech Worker Survey Report: Attracting and Retaining IT Talent in a Dynamic Economy, prepared by with ComputerWorld Canada and Network World Canada magazines. The report looks at some of the employment factors high-tech workers find most important.
The fifth edition of the annual study rated 37 workplace factors – including base salary, company reputation, training and opportunities for advancement – in terms of importance and satisfaction.
According to the survey, IT professionals have learned not to take job security for granted – workers said higher base salaries, bonuses and stock options take a back seat to employment security. This is reflected by its jump from 21st most important five years ago to 12th most important now.
This year marks the first time that job security has rated more important than pay, according to the survey’s author, Terry Lister, Human Capital Solutions partner with IBM Business Consulting Services (Canada). Lister noted that unlike previous years, where IT workers were much more eager to change jobs and employers, a vulnerable Canadian economy has made unemployment and company downsizing a major concern.
Lister also noted that employees rated respect from their employers as the number one factor in overall job satisfaction.
