The retention rate of IT specialists has declined in the past few years, given the rise of the competition in the market and the opening of local offices by the top multinational companies. Thus, employers should use employee loyalty programs from a more complex perspective, according to Smartree, one of the leaders in the outsourcing HR market in Romania. Above than in other areas, the retention IT methods must be adapted to the profile of employees. We know that the IT market is still a special one. Therefore, the companies which has this employee profile in the organizational structure should be constantly attentive to the employees and candidates needs regarding how some tools for motivation and retention of specialists are implemented. “For young people who are just getting started, a flexible work schedule, a plan for career development, well structured and presented when hiring, a permanent diversification of activities included in the job description or potential projects in which they may be involved,  can be successful retention methods. On the other hand, for employees aged over 35-40 years are more important things like stability in the company, salary and working environment, “says Raluca Penes, HR Coordinator Smartree. Candidates from the west country, more than available for an interview than the candidates from Bucharest Although, in Romania, the rate of retention of specialists is equally problematic in all cities which concentrates companies in IT, you may notice a clear difference between Bucharest and cities in the west of the country – such as Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara, in terms of availability for the first interview. “Thus, when receiving proposals for new collaboration opportunities, candidates from Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara are more open and interested in new challenges compared to those in Bucharest. In Bucharest, from 10 candidates approached by recruiters, only one is available and interested to go to an interview, “mentions Raluca Penes. IT specialists from Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara are as well trained as those in Bucharest. Therefore, in the past we have noticed many foreign investors who have opened offices in these cities and hired IT specialists even from the local market, approach that was encouraged by the educational institutions in this area. Top expectations from a job in IT According to Smartree representatives, the IT employees expect from their job: an attractive salary, a flexible working hours, the possibility of quick advancement within the company and a short distance from home to office. The appreciation they receive at work and a positive feedback from their employers are very important for them. Regarding strictly the benefits offered by employers, the IT specialists are very interested in everything that requires flexibility from the company, such as the ability to work from home. It is also greatly appreciated the diversity of projects, additional training through which they can develop new skills or even an open mind attitude from their superiors, or the opportunity to be included in constructive discussions. Top reasons for why IT specialists are leaving their job The main reasons for why IT employees quit a job are: the salary, an inflexible working program, the long distance from home to the office, the lack of fringe benefits, the feeling that they can not progress and are not appreciated work. Those who take the easiest decision to leave are primarily the juniors, meaning the generation belonging to the Millennials segment. They are more open to new challenges in the market and to the opportunities for new jobs, especially since they are aware that an eventual  raise of salary in the company where they are currently working will definitely be lower than the salary that they can get from the start to another company, with clear intentions of recruitment.   Differences between juniors and seniors “The young IT specialists do not perceive their first job as a long-term cooperation, within they are devoted overtime or are involved in the same projects for a long time. In their case, the challenges of the market are so tempting that they do not even have to apply for a new job because they are daily contacted by employers, “said Raluca Penes. On the other hand, seniors are more careful when it comes to changing their jobs. When they make this decision, they are fully convinced that they made a good choice, after they made a research about that company in the offline environment, obtaining information directly from the market and indirectly  in online. The experience gained over the years helps them when they evaluate a potential future employer in terms of organizational objectives and business strategies. Read the entire article on: www.managerexpress.ro Photo source: Manager Express