Many companies don’t have room in the budget to increase pay for IT workers, even as competitors attempt to lure them away with new opportunities. The good news: Salary isn’t the top reason IT pros quit their jobs. 

IT pros are in high demand right now, which means many companies will be vying for job applicants — and your company’s current IT staffers will have many opportunities to switch jobs.

What can organizations do to keep their best employees from leaving? Here’s some advice that can be gleaned from a recent infographic from Bolt Insurance agency detailing the top reasons employees quit.

1. Reduce stress

One of the most important things companies can do to keep their best people from leaving, according to Bolt: Make sure the work is spread as evenly as possible. A heavy workload was listed as a top source of stress by 43% of employees.

While it’s natural for managers to give the best employees the most responsibility, it’s important to keep from going too far. That’s especially critical in IT where the levels of job stress are making many IT pros consider a career change.

2. Show advancement opportunities

Employees’ top reason for quitting a job, according to Bolt’s infographic: a lack of career advancement and promotion opportunities (cited by 32% of survey respondents).

While managers can’t always create a position to give a top employee a place to move up, they can help by increasing the person’s responsibilities (but keep in mind the points laid out above), and talking to staff members about their goals for the future and tell them what opportunities could be available.

3. Increase non-monetary compensation

Of course, money usually plays some kind of role in an employee’s job decisions, and pay and benefits was chosen as a top reason for changing jobs by 21% of survey respondents.

While companies’ hands are often tied when it comes to salary, other forms of compensation have a big impact, too. In fact, less than half (43%) of employees feel they receive adequate non-monetary awards for the work they do. In IT, some of the most valuable low- and no-cost benefits include flexible scheduling and telecommuting options.

Tags: retention, salary, staff