* Results of Network World's 2006 Salary Survey
Network World’s 2006 Salary Survey shows base pay increased an average of 5.4%, while bonuses saw a healthy 14.2% bump. So it would probably surprise IT leaders to learn that their troops aren’t satisfied with the compensation.
The 1,841 survey participants identified overall compensation as second most important aspect of job satisfaction, just behind job security. However, they assessed it a bottom-of-the-barrel satisfaction rank of 20. Base salary was chosen as the fourth priority, yet respondents ranked it No. 11 in satisfaction.
As my colleague Julie Bort reports, this dissatisfaction may stem from swings in stock-based compensation. Stock-based compensation for IT staff dropped 4.8%, according to the survey. Middle managers saw their stock pay drop 26.1%, while network executives raked in a 49.8% increase in their stock-based pay.
One thing employers seem to be doing to keep workers happy is offering better work/life balance than in previous years. Those interviewed indicated that they’ve bid adieu to the workaholic days of 70-hour-workweeks. Flexible work schedules get top rating as the aspect of their jobs they’re most satisfied with, while family friendliness is ranked as No. 2.
As the market improves, slightly more network pros surveyed are actively seeking a new position. This edged up 2% from 2005 to 15%, with another 40% identified as “explorers” who are looking, but not hard. Another 29% group themselves as approachable, meaning they’d apply for a job if asked, while 16% identified themselves as loyalists who have no plans to leave their employer.
