Dialog is also key, says Saunderson. The business side needs to understand IT's needs and communicate how IT contributes to the company's success.

"I was talking to one company that surveyed its employees recently and discovered IT was not too happy. The senior leaders said, 'Whoa, we never intended this.' They opened up a dialog with IT, said, 'You're right, we're wrong. Here are some things we'll start doing based on your input.'"

And if management won't listen, techies with in-demand skill sets can vote with their feet and find employers that speak their language, says Geek.com's Joel Evans. Startups and other tech-driven companies tend to understand geeks and value their input more than other vertical industries.

"It has to do with recognition more than anything," says Evans. "Sometimes all someone wants is to hear is 'Hey Terry, thanks for building us such a great network.' It doesn't even have to be public—geeks just want to know their work is appreciated."

For example, three years ago, worldwide IT services provider Dimension Data realized it needed to recognize and reward its technical people as well as it does other employees, says Denise Messineo, senior vice president of HR for the company's North American division.

The company issued laptops with Webcams, so more of its outbound consulting force could teleconference into meetings, saving travel time. It offered more flexible work schedules and time off for training, so techies could keep their skills current. It opened its annual sales conference up to all employees and launched a marketing video that shows off the cool technology techies have created. Next year, the company plans to launch a technology "hall of fame" to honor longtime IT employees.

"When you think of any kind of recognition program for employees, you need to think first of your technical people, because they truly are the heartbeat of the organization," says Messineo. "If your systems go down, everyone's productivity stops. It's the same as if the electricity goes off. If you take care of IT first, everything else will fall into place."