Training, Bonuses, Vacation

3. Training

Training is often seen as a job benefit or perk, with management forgetting that advancing employees' skills creates more value for the company. Furthermore, failing to reimburse for job-relevant training can make a bad impression on the employee.

"I was refused free training this year because they didn't want to spend $500 on for the travel, food and lodging expenses associated with the three days of training--yet the catered lunches haven't stopped," Hess says.

4. Bonuses for Bringing in Business

It's not only salespeople that bring in business, but they're often the only ones that get bonuses for it.

IT pros that actively network within their professional community often develop contacts that lead to contracts. But most companies don't incentivize them to do so. Changing the structure and scope of bonuses can be an effective way to keep IT employees focused on going beyond their day-to-day job description.

5. Banked Vacation Time

While IT workers are far from being the only professionals who wish they could bank their vacation time, many feel that they'd benefit the most from it.

Too often, those in IT are working while the rest of the company is on holiday, and aren't given enough time to plan their own vacations when the work slows down.

On top of that, IT workers often find themselves working extra hours or weekends to repair outages or install upgrades. To compensate, businesses should allow for time off shortly after their people put in the extra effort.