More technology CEOs plan to increase headcount over the next year, but they say finding, and hiring, the right people is getting tougher. It’s their biggest operational challenge, according to 41 percent of CEOs surveyed in Deloitte’s 2006 CEO Survey of the fastestgrowing technology companies in North America as ranked on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500. To attract employees, some CEOs say they are returning to Internet-era strategies. Seventy-one percent are offering stock options or some form of ownership interest. Others are dangling lifestyle benefits: 49 percent offer flexible work hours and 23 percent offer additional vacation days. Career track benefits also are important — 35 percent offer training and development programs, and 28 percent provide a career growth plan.
Join the Giving Club
Grande Communications’ 800-plus employees have raised more than $1 million for local nonprofit organizations. Grande runs a matching-contribution philanthropic program called the Passion & Commitment Investment Club (P&C Club), which asks employees to donate a percentage of their salaries and time to charities that provide basic human needs and services, or offer access to Internet technology to lower-income families in the communities where Grande operates. Since its inception, more than 50 percent of Grande’s employees have enrolled in the program, and the P&C Investment Club has now contributed more than $1 million to a variety of organizations.
OVERHEARD...
“I’ve worked with big telecom workers, good people, and they’ve warned me that their companies would use the ability to discriminate to hurt the little guys. They will use their power to hurt the little guys, and I don’t think that should happen. If there was no net neutrality, this could have been a big problem for craigslist when we started. And it would be a problem for small businesses that innovate online.”
Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist.com, on joining the SavetheInternet.com coalition, which started in April to mobilize Americans to push for net neutrality legislation.
| Links |
| craigslist Inc. www.craigslist.com Deloitte Development LLC www.deloitte.com Grande Communications Network Inc. www.grandecom.com SavetheInternet.com Coalition www.savetheinternet.com |
