In times of economic turmoil, when unemployment is high and tech jobs are scarce, employed IT professionals want to know their jobs are secure, according to a recent Dice.com poll. CIOs who need to reward and retain key IT staff must find ways to show those employees that they're indispensible. Recognition is not enough. A survey conducted by IT research firm Gartner earlier this year pinpointed the staffing conundrum facing CIOs today: It’s hard to reward and retain key IT staff who weren’t laid off from their organizations when there’s no money in the IT budget for raises. Technology professionals polled by IT job board Dice.com in July have a clear solution to that problem. When asked what companies could offer in lieu of a salary increase to reward and motivate them, the 431 IT professionals who took the survey indicated that they want their employers to give them a sense of stability in a volatile economy or more flexibility. [ More on morale: 6 Ways to Boost Employee Morale, 7 Tips for Keeping IT Employees Upbeat, There’s No Quick Fix for Bad Morale ] Survey respondents were asked to choose which one of four reward and recognition options was most important to them: 1) a guarantee of job security, 2) company-funded training and certification classes, 3) flexible work hours or 4) C-level recognition. Slightly more than one-third (35 percent) selected job security as their number one choice. Company-funded training and certification classes and flexible work hours ran a close second and third, respectively, with 32 percent and 31 percent of the votes. Few IT professionals care about a high-five from the CIO, it seems. Just two percent of respondents (the suck-ups) said C-level recognition was most important to them. Dice.com CMO Tom Silver says he wasn’t surprised by the survey results. “Everyone loves a pat on the back, but relative to the other choices, particularly in a tough market, people are more interested in tangible rewards,” he says. A guarantee of job security, which will keep food on the table and debt collectors off an IT worker’s back, or company-sponsored training demonstrate very clearly a company’s commitment to its employees and the employees’ value to the company. Company sponsored training, in particular, sends the message to employees that even though the employer can’t give them more money via their paychecks, they’re at least willing to invest in their employees via training, says Silver. Training may also be the best solution to IT leaders’ staffing challenges. Says Silver, “They realize they can not go out and hire more people. Therefore, they have to make the most of the technology professionals they have. Investing in their current employees is by far the most efficient way to go.” Follow me on Twitter @meridith. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins 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