Happy IT staff key to workplace success

IT and telecoms workers have claimed that better recognition combined with the ability to work flexibly will make them more productive, according to research by the Department of Trade and Industry.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed for the study into workplace potential cited regular feedback from the boss as the single most important factor in making them feel motivated.

Seven out of 10 added that being able to work flexibly would make them more productive.

The poll, conducted in August, also found that 81 per cent of workers in the sector would be more committed if their employer helped them to realise their full potential in the workplace.

Some 86 per cent cited training and development as 'very important' motivating factors.

The study also noted that significant staff potential is currently being wasted. Three out of five respondents admitted that, on an average working day, they are not as productive as they could be.

Reasons included getting bogged down in day-to-day detail (67 per cent), late-starting meetings (57 per cent) and having to plough through long and irrelevant email trails (48 per cent).

Sebastian Bailey, director at management development consultancy MindGym, suggested that the results showed that companies need to do more to keep employees happy and motivated.

"The command and control approach to managing business is reducing, but it is by no means a thing of the past. We need a change of approach," he said.

Even inexpensive measures could make a big difference in most organisations, according to Bailey.

"By improving staff recognition and feedback, managers can help people feel motivated, energised and valued within the business," he explained.

"From the employer's perspective this can lead to greater staff retention and markedly increased levels of productivity. From the employee's perspective it boosts their sense of progress and effectiveness."

As well as offering flexible working options Bailey maintained that a more collaborative working style could also be beneficial, particularly in IT where staff often work in isolation.

"Companies that adopt a more collaborative approach seem to show increased productivity and a marked shift in the bottom line," he said.

"Business leaders need to think more actively about how they can incorporate such a culture of collaboration and recognition."