Attract, Retain and Empower Technology Team Members
IT plays a vital role in the success of Case Western Reserve University. As we address the needs of CWRU, we must recognize that IT’s success depends on the commitment and talent of its staff. The department must provide meaningful recognition to those who excel in their roles, as well opportunities for growth and advancement.
IT at CWRU must attend to and invest in “the human element” as it is what makes our other investments effective. Through a deliberate effort to promote diversity in the workplace, IT seeks to improve our multi-generational team of professionals to move CWRU into the future. We will strive to attract and retain highly skilled individuals to help empower our service delivery efforts to the university.
Case Western Reserve University depends on the effective use of IT for instruction, research and administration. As the global demand for IT professionals continues to exceed the supply, and our current workforce matures, CWRU (and the higher education community more broadly) faces a long-term staffing challenge. Just as industry has had to respond to the tight labor market, CWRU must develop its own multi-faceted approach to recruiting and retaining the IT professionals it needs to meet ever-expanding technology requirements. While compensation and benefits strongly influence the ability to recruit and retain highly effective IT staff, CWRU must also recognize that effective and supportive leadership for technologists is equally important to recruit and retain valuable employees.
Information technology is an ever-changing discipline. Skills and experiences acquired today quickly give way to needs for new knowledge and capability in different tools within a very short period of time. Today’s IT workers recognize this and the best will display an immense ability to be flexible and adaptable. However, CWRU can ensure this proclivity for skill development is supported with education and training programs that allow these workers to adapt and continue to serve the university.
Action Item 24.1: Build a strategic roadmap for IT staffing that addresses all levels of professional experience, diversity and the university’s long-term need of enabling innovation and allowing for agility to better respond to demands.
Action Item 24.2: Implement a program to encourage and facilitate staff professional development to ensure they have the relevant knowledge and skills necessary to succeed and meet the IT demands of a top-tier research university.
Action Item 24.3: Build and develop management and leadership capacity, succession planning and capability to meet the current and future needs of the IT organization and optimize the organization’s value.
Action Item 24.4: Assess current talents in IT at CWRU and, as part of IT centralization efforts, develop a plan and organization to leverage existing skills for the greatest stewardship and user experience.
Action Item 24.5: Assess IT industry and higher education peer institution trends to develop a long-term compensation model to support the goal of attracting, hiring and retaining skilled technology personnel.