What motivates you at work?

Most employees not motivated by money
Less than a third of the British workforce say they are motivated by financial reward, according to a recent research by recruitment specialists Brook Street.

Just 28% of those surveyed said they were motivated by financial reward when in the workplace. 16% said they are motivated by a challenge and a massive 37% are motivated by job satisfaction.

Erika Bannerman, Brook Street Sales and Marketing Director believes that the research demonstrates that motivating people at work is about much more than a good salary. She said, "People need to feel satisfied in their job and having a challenge has also shown to be a key motivator. With so many people motivated by job satisfaction it suggests that employers should look at attracting employees by other methods than just financial rewards."

12% of people stated their key motivation at work is getting praise from their boss. Interestingly only 7% of people are motivated by having responsibility.

Erika continued, "We are in an applicant driven market, where applicants are in demand. Employees could improve their recruitment and retention by offering individuals development, training and opportunities for career progression. Regular appraisals can also help to motivate with clear achievable objectives being set and career progression plans outlined. Communication is also key, employers need to acknowledge the hard work that their employees do and identify if they are satisfied within their role."

IT skills - new competency framework

New Guide to IT Skills

A new competency model by e-skills UK is aiming to provide a new, sector-wide approach to IT professional capabilities.

The sector skills council for IT and telecoms says the new model allocates the competencies IT professionals have into subject-based ‘disciplines' and levels. It also includes transferable skills, such as business and personal skills, which apply to all disciplines.

Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK, said: "The IT Professional Competency model will enable employers to understand clearly what someone should be able to do and the standard of performance they can expect - supporting recruitment, performance management and staff development, among other things.

"Individual IT professionals will be able to use the model to better clarify development needs, career paths and aspirations. Moving forward, the model will also inform the content of qualifications, education and training courses."

The Cabinet Office's Katie Davis, director of the Government IT Profession, said: "There are nearly 50,000 IT professionals working across central government and the public sector in a wide variety of roles. They need and want a government-wide programme that sets high standards of performance and career development. The IT Professional Competency Model will help us deliver this. A common language for skills and experience is efficient, practical and of use to us all."

Jeremy Beale, head of eBusiness group at the CBI, said: "e-skills UK is to be commended for developing the IT Professional Competency Model. Effective use of technology is key to competing in today's global economy, and companies need to take every opportunity offered by IT to enhance their productivity, efficiency and customer service.

"This model, and the development programmes that will underpin it, constitute a vital step in helping companies of all sizes and sectors to recruit and develop the IT professionals they need to build value in today's challenging and exciting global business environment."

e-skills UK says the IT Professional Competency Model is a 'top layer' view of capabilities that links through to skills and development structures including the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) and the British Computer Society's Chartered Professional programme.

It expects that the model will also provide the framework for the creation of new development programmes and form the basis for qualifications reform and simplification.

For further information visit: www.e-skills.com/profit

Experience counts for more than qualifications for IT managers

IT Skills - Experience Rated Over Qualifications

Many organisations see IT management experience as more important than qualifications, according to a new British Computer Society (BCS) survey.

Almost 90% (88%) of organisations surveyed said that it was the experience of their IT managers that was important to them rather than their IT qualifications (41%).

When recruiting IT managers, 69% of companies put a high importance on the IT knowledge of the applicant compared with 51% who rated management knowledge highly. For the majority of organisations the head of IT or the equivalent was the key decision maker in the recruitment of IT managers.

The majority of organisations (69%) did not use a Professional Development scheme for their IT managers. However of those organisations that did use such a scheme, half were based on a scheme either run by or accredited by a professional body. In addition, 59% of the companies stated that they would put a high value on more standardised education and qualifications for IT managers.