|
How can you stop or prevent this from happening? How can
you prevent your systems integration engineers from bolting to greener
pastures? How can you keep the "poachers" away from your best
and brightest staff?
In reality, you can't block your staff from getting
trained and leaving your firm. In most free markets around the World,
staff member such as systems integration engineers are hired at will and
are free to come and go as they please.
Certification Risks with Systems Integration Engineers
So does this mean you should totally discount the idea of
investing in your staff's training and certification? Not really.
Abandoning training and certification wouldn't prove too practical as most
of your small business clients hire your firm for projects because your
in-house expertise with your systems integration engineers is
substantially greater than theirs.
So how can you at least make a reasonable attempt to
protect the substantial investments you make in staff certification and
prevent those efforts from solely being a benefit to their next employer?
Before answering this question, you'll need to answer for
yourself whether certification is just an expense or investment on your
part or, does your staff also perceive company-funded certification to be
a fringe benefit to them? (i.e. part of their total compensation package)
Systems Integration Engineers and Handcuff Clauses
Some small business systems integrators and computer
resellers, as well as Fortune 1000 IT organizations, have had some limited
success in bringing out the "legalese" to soften the blow of
departing, newly certified staff.
While "handcuff clauses" are generally not an
effective deterrent to prevent staff from leaving in a hot job market,
these type of contracts generally require that the departing staff member
repay the company for their training and certification expenses if they
leave immediately. Since training and certification can often cost upwards
of $10,000 per employee per year in the U.S., these costs with systems
integration engineers are clearly not trivial.
These types of agreements for systems integration
engineers are also generally tiered.
If the staff member leaves immediately after receiving the
benefits of company-sponsored certification, the staff member is liable
for 100% of the training and certification expense. If the staff member
leaves after one year, the liability drops to 50%. After two years, the
contract liability with the systems integration engineers dissolves.
I haven't heard many accounts of small business systems
integrators or computer resellers, or Fortune 1000 IT organizations,
taking their former employees to court to collect on these contracts.
However, I have heard anecdotes of the new employer paying the old
employer's tab for certification to prevent the outbreak of a local World
War III among the local systems integrator "community".
Making Your Systems Integration Engineers Financially Accountable
One New York-based compensation consultant has advised a
few larger systems integrators to take a similar approach with more
"teeth" (stronger potential enforcement).
In this case, the systems integration engineers that want
to participate in employer sponsored training and certification sign a
note with a local bank. As long as the systems integration engineers
remain on staff with the systems integrator, the systems integrator picks
up the tab for the monthly payments on the loan. However, if the employee
leaves the systems integrator before the pre-determined time period, the
bank will transfer liability solely to the departing employee and enforce
collection as if it were any other personal loan.
However when it comes down to looking at 'how to avoid
training your competitor's next hire', the best medicine with systems
integration engineers is often an ounce of prevention.
If you give your systems integration engineers plenty of
reasons to discount offers from competitors, you'll have a happy staff and
no need to pursue defensive strategies in regards to who pays the tab for
certification.
For More Free Small Business Server Consulting Tips
Just click on the banner below and sign up for our
sponsor's free training audio recording.
|
