Career A BRIEF COMPENDIUM OF
Central THE IT WORKPLACE
Gartner: The end of end of their working life, 60 percent of the U.S. labor typical sales pitch, which
the 40-hour workweek and that businesses need to force in 2004, according to the emphasizes job promotion reckon with this trend. U.S Bureau of Labor Statis- and security, doesn’t work
BY 2015, THERE WILL BE MORE tics, in the same period they as well for women and
workers who interact with Luring the other 68 accounted for 32 percent of argued that recruiters will
technology, but they’ll be percent to IT the IT work force. have to move beyond that working fewer hours each A new research paper, to get more women through
week, according to a Gartner COULD WOMEN BE THE ANSWER “What Do Women Want?: the IT door.
research report released to IT’s dwindling work force? An Investigation of Career
May 30. Penn State University Anchors among Women in the Security certifications
Gartner argued that researchers found that women IT Work Force,” by the univer- three of the four traditional are underrepresented in the sity’s College of Information boost pay, report says
pillars of work—the living industry and argued that tak- Science and Technology tried THOUGH THE PAY VALUE OF
wage, long-term relation- ing steps to increase women’s to investigate the factors the vast majority of IT cer-
ships with loyal employ- numbers would expand the that contribute to the under- tifications has been on the
ers and government- or ranks of the overall work force representation of women in IT. decline for more than two
company-provided pen- and promote diversity. While The report, released May years, pay premiums for IT
sions—have already gone women accounted for almost
24, found that a recruiter’s security, project manage-
the way of the dinosaurs, ment and database admin-
leaving only the 40-hour workweek.
31 days lost each year putting istration certifications have soared, a new report said.
But this, too, is not long out IT fires Compensation for certified IT
for the employment economy, A new survey suggests it’s no wonder business managers are often security professionals increased
the report said. Societal views so exasperated with IT. Here’s a sampling of some of the problems: nearly
2 percent during the
on primary wage earner and 80% past six months, according to caregiver roles, as well as on of the companies surveyed claimed problems with IT research released May 31 by
retirement, are in the midst downtime had been an issue Foote Partners, an IT work force
of changing, taking with them 74% of business managers queried said they spent 12% of research company.
the de facto 40-hour work- their week dealing with various IT issues Also, Foote Partners doc-week. Individuals are already umented a multiyear trend in
reconsidering its pervasive 77% of midsize company managers surveyed estimated that IT professional pay in which
influence, the report said, 13% of their IT investment was noncertified IT skills are
and the dialogue is becoming wasted due to insufficient upkeep gaining over their certified
increasingly political. 90% of IT counterparts. Pay for 149
Those most affected are respondents in large leading noncertified IT skills
at the helm. Retiring baby companies admitted grew 4.1 percent in value in
boomers, working-age moth- that downtime was the last six months and 9.1
ers and Generation X workers such an issue that
half ( 51 percent) percent during the past year,
are seeking a more fulfilling cited it as a serious the report said.
work/life balance, and the problem for them Pay for certified IT skills
traditional workplace struc- and their colleagues increased 1.1 percent and
ture is holding them back. Source: Partners in I T,
2.1 percent, respectively, in
The report said that no longer a U.K.-based service the same period.
will the workplace be domi- management
company
nated by single breadwinners —Compiled by Deborah
who expect to retire at the Perelman
