Survey: IT Budgets Under More Pressure, Staff Turnover Is Down

A new survey from the Society for Information Management (SIM) finds a growing unease in the world of IT. CIOs reported an increase in budgetary pressures, while IT staffers were less likely to leave their current positions.

“IT innovations that generate revenues are a rising priority for CIOs, who ranked them fourth in a recent annual survey of IT managers, up from 9th place just one year ago,” blogged Michael Hickins in the Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal. “Corporate earnings have been down this year, and projections for this quarter aren’t looking any better, according to the survey, by the Society for Information Management. That, says lead SIM researcher Jerry Luftman, helps explain why revenue generation has risen to the top of IT management priorities. ‘We’ve never seen it this high on the list before,’ Luftman told CIO Journal during a telephone interview.”

Information Management quoted Luftman as saying, “There is overall uneasiness about the economy and election. Companies are being more cautious with budgets, hiring and salaries and there is increased attention to IT infrastructure spending.”

ZDNet’s Larry Dignan added, “For 2013, chief information officers are planning to spend more on outsourcing and less on hardware and consultants, according to the Society for Information Management (SIM).”

And Computerworld’s Patrick Thibodeau noted, “Staff turnover in IT departments averaged 5.2% this year, which is below the average rate of 5.8% measured over the past seven years, the survey found.” He also quoted Luftman who said, “People are finding it hard to find good jobs elsewhere so they’re staying put.”