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Report Studies I.T. Work Force Issues


August 4, 2008

A new report from Computer Sciences Corp. examines challenges that health care CIOs face with a multi-generational workforce.

The information technology department in a health care organization can have employees from four generations--born before 1946, between 1946-1964, between 1965-1980 and after 1980--each with different needs and expectations.

And some of those expectations are changing, according to the report from Falls Church, Va.-based CSC, an I.T. services and consulting firm serving multiple industries. For instance, working flexible hours or from home traditionally has appealed to younger workers, but now is becoming attractive to older ones who want to postpone full retirement.

The report highlights numerous programs to attract and retain I.T. talent. These include enabling employees to customize benefit packages based on age, family status, special needs and other factors; or offering hospital-arranged car pools or “gas cards” to reduce employee transportation costs, among other programs.

“Unfortunately, despite these efforts, salary competition continues to be a major challenge at many organizations,” according to the report. “For example, one CIO remarked that she has had such little recent success that she goes into every offer expecting to lose to a higher salary offer elsewhere. Another management team begins worrying about losing each new recruit to a higher offer as soon as they have completed vendor application training.”

The report’s conclusions are based on interviews with CIOs and other senior I.T. managers at 10 health care organizations in the U.S. The organizations include two large group practices, seven integrated delivery systems and one vendor of software for health insurers. Walt Zywiak, a principal researcher in the emerging practices unit of CSC’s health care division, authored the report.

For a copy of the report, “The Multi-Generational Healthcare I.T. Workforce,” click here.

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