Most companies are experiencing a major IT staffing problem that has more to do with a skills shortage than a lack of bodies, according to CIO?s Staffing Survey. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they were having hiring difficulties, while 54 percent were battling to keep current employees from leaving for more lucrative jobs or more interesting projects. Many respondents commented that there are plenty of IT people out there; the challenge is finding the right skills for the job and improving retention.So how are companies coping? By offering training, both to improve skills and to attract or keep staff. Almost half of respondents have increased their training budget in the past year by an average of 27 percent. Additionally, respondents indicated that on average, 25 percent of their IT staff had been retrained for a new job or new function within the IT department. Whether this will be enough to close the skills gap that companies say is their biggest bugbear still remains to be seen.Methodology: 366 IT professionals responded to the IT staffing survey posted at CIO.com from Nov. 20 through Nov. 29. Thirty-nine percent of respondents were employed in organizations with 5,000 employees or more, 20 percent work in organizations with 1,000 to 4,999 employees, and 41 percent were in organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees. Of respondents, 28 percent held senior management titles (CIO, CTO or vice president of IT), 25 percent held director titles, 37 percent were managers or supervisors, and 11 percent were IT staff. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe Is there an IT staffing crisis or a skills crisis? 49% – skills crisis 6% – staffing crisis 33% – both11% – neitherWhat is the primary reason cited by staff for leaving the company?54% – salary/compensation/stock options21% – type of work/more interesting projects7% – dissatisfaction with the company?s overall performance 6% – dissatisfaction with manager11% – otherWhat benefits have you added to help attract or retain staff? 61% – training 54% – flex time/flexible work hours28% – hiring bonusesWhat kind of training do you make available?93% – IT training54% – management/leadership53% – professional development (such as public speaking or time management training)7% – other Related content feature Mastercard preps for the post-quantum cybersecurity threat A cryptographically relevant quantum computer will put everyday online transactions at risk. Mastercard is preparing for such an eventuality — today. By Poornima Apte Sep 22, 2023 6 mins CIO 100 CIO 100 CIO 100 feature 9 famous analytics and AI disasters Insights from data and machine learning algorithms can be invaluable, but mistakes can cost you reputation, revenue, or even lives. These high-profile analytics and AI blunders illustrate what can go wrong. By Thor Olavsrud Sep 22, 2023 13 mins Technology Industry Technology Industry Technology Industry feature Top 15 data management platforms available today Data management platforms (DMPs) help organizations collect and manage data from a wide array of sources — and are becoming increasingly important for customer-centric sales and marketing campaigns. By Peter Wayner Sep 22, 2023 10 mins Marketing Software Data Management opinion Four questions for a casino InfoSec director By Beth Kormanik Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Media and Entertainment Industry Events Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe