Google Search » Database Underground | Sean McCown » Keep your DBAs

May 02, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Keep your DBAs

TAGS: Database News

There's been a bit of buzz around lately(again) about methods companies are using to retain their IT staff longer. It would seem that in general the American business community is starting to realize that rotating out the people who run your infrastructure every 6mos is a bad idea, and actually ends up costing more money than keeping them. The articles I've been reading are more about IT staff in general, but I'm going to make this about DBAs since this is a database blog.

Here are the articles I've seen recently:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1944403,00.asp
http://www.optimizemag.com/article/square_off.jhtml?articleId=174401933

This just happens to be one of my hot buttons and I have a lot to say about it. So, if you're a CEO, CIO, or the like, pay attention because I'm about to tell you what your staff is really thinking and what they're afraid to say to you directly.

For starters, let's talk about incentives. Free in-house training, CBTs, tuition reimbursement programs, and everything in that general category don't mean squat. Most DBAs don't have time to go to college outside of work, so offering us tuition reimbursement is an empty gesture.

Bonuses are good. However, they can't be whimsical. Be regular with the bonuses, and be generous. You're not paying us for doing a good job, you're paying us to show how much you appreciate that we're sticking around and continuing to do a good job. Along with bonuses, think raises next. Raises are how you tell us you want us to not start looking for a job. It's been a standard for several years now... DBAs typically give themselves a nice, fat raise every year or so by switching jobs. And that 2% you like to give us isn't going to cut it. Don't even think about coming to the table with anything less than 7%. Anything else says you don't care whether we stay or go.

Here's another hint for you. My time is just as important as yours. I'm getting very offended that I have to choose between feeding my family and raising them. I was recently looking for a job and I turned down several gigs where the company expected me to be in the office 9-12hrs a day. I've got a family... that's unacceptable. Even worse is the support trade-off. When we as DBAs are expected to provide 24/7 support, you're expected to give the rigid schedule a break. Again, I've had a few jobs where I was expected to drop whatever I was doing to answer a support issue. I'm at the movies with the kids, stop and go fix the DB. I'm at the park with my family, or at a party, stop and go fix the DB. Even in the middle of a New Year's Eve party(true story), stop and go fix the DB. Yet, companies continually expect that all of their businees we're taking care of during OUR time should have no effect on my office time. Don't ever step up to me and ask me to provide after hours support and expect me to not take care of some of my personal business during your normal work day. In short... MY time is just as important as yours, and I'm not going to choose between being with my family, and feeding them.

Here's probably the biggest thing you can do to keep your DBAs around. Start a company-wide campaign to even pretend to give a crap about us. I honestly can't count the number of times I've worked for a company for years only to be tossed aside for a cheaper, less-experienced DBA. I'm always the top producer in my department... always. And to have the company I'm spending my nights thinking about improving just throw me away because they want to save 10K, is not only an insult, it proves that you don't care about me as a person. Now, I happen to know that the company I just left is in pretty big trouble database-wise since I left. And I can only assume that the rest were too. You can't get around keeping senior people. You need us. And if we're going to put our time, effort, thoughts, weekends, late nights, etc into making your company run better, and increase the quality of service and product you give your customers, then we deserve a little consideration. No, I take that back... we deserve a Lot of consideration.

One more thing before I get off my rant here. say it with me... flex-time. Practically every company has VPN, and there's no reason why DBAs can't do part of their work from home. They're typically more productive because they have fewer distractions. Give it a try. The ones who prove themselves unworthy get the right taken away, but for those of us who work extra hard from home so we don't lose the right... let us. Trust me on this one. Your DBAs will be far more likely to stick around if you show them a little consideration.

So, if you want us to stick around longer than just a few months, then say it with cash, and say it with perks. And remember, 401K matching and tuition reimbursement aren't perks.

Ok, I'm done.

Read my book reviews at:
http://www.ITBookworm.com

Posted by Sean McCown on May 2, 2006 05:19 PM

RATE THIS ARTICLE: