One of the biggest differences between the industrial age and the information age is the issue of geographic location of business. In the past, people had to set up shop where the resources were and workers had to be geographically located in close proximity. When it comes to knowledge workers, the converse applies. Because of the portability of intellectual products such as software, the business can go to the worker.
The freedom from geographical ties is one of the biggest pluses in attracting the best available skills.
Microsoft, for example, has opened a huge development centre in India, where development skills proliferate and Microsoft can take advantage of the lower costs of infrastructure. Cape Town is another example where it is possible to attract a higher level of skills because of the environment, and where the cost of living is lower than in Gauteng.
Taken a step further, companies don`t even need to go to their workers -- the virtual office is a reality today, where a developer need not step out of his house to go to work. When it comes to attracting top skills, the ability to work from home is a major plus.
The freedom from geographical ties is one of the biggest pluses in attracting the best available skills. Other attractions include money, career development, wealth sharing, intellectual "stretch" and international job opportunities.
Typically, knowledge workers are not only motivated by remuneration; they also look for opportunities to self-actualise in their career. They can be exposed to newer technologies and a challenging applications development environment; and they can be offered the opportunity to move from one stream of technology to another in the same organisation. Knowledge workers need to be "stretched" as nothing bores and demotivates them faster than doing the same thing for too long. They need to be constantly challenged, placed under pressure, given new environments and exposed to new technologies.
Of course money is a motivator, and a good way to retain staff is to give them an interest in the company and allow them to participate in the organisation`s wealth creation mechanism, such as share options.
For employees and the business as a whole, local companies today need to look at operating globally. In this way, staff whom you would have lost to international competition can take advantage of overseas opportunities without leaving the company.
Finally, developers must be assured that they have a long-term future in the company. Their career paths should be mapped, their competencies identified, and training and mentoring provided to ensure they achieve their full potential. This is accomplished by helping them plan their own careers and identifying where their ambitions lie. It is up to the company to provide the environment that allows people to attain their goals.
However, the process continues with "softer" issues. These are particularly important considering that highly technical development teams are usually regarded as "back-office" workers, who are not in the front line with sales and marketing. Their involvement in the company`s direction is often not requested and a feeling of alienation can permeate the team. Developers should be participants in structuring and implementing the vision, mission and values of the company. They must know they are contributing to enriching their environment and are included in the reward mechanism.
Developers must also remain involved with the product they have helped create. Once they have created something, it is disappointing to have it disappear without ever seeing the end product. They must be given feedback on their success and failures.
One way to achieve this is to create business units or teams that involve all participants in a product, including the sales and marketing staff. By creating these teams, the developer can gain a clear picture of the end product from the sales and marketing staff, and then make his contribution to its creation. Software development is a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
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