Stories by Sharon Florentine

Feeling frustrated, stuck and unproductive at work? Blame your co-workers.

The pace of change in IT has always been brisk, but technology advances such as virtualization, the cloud, service management and a focus on information management and collaboration have forced businesses into a dead sprint to keep up. And as technology changes, so do the skills, knowledge and job roles needed to design, build, implement and manage these cutting-edge technologies. The majority of IT organizations aren't prepared for the battle, even as the war for talent rages on.

When executives and IT teams aren't speaking the same language, projects fail, time and money are wasted, and collaboration and productivity suffer. But Decoded is looking to help overcome the "language barrier" and enhance collaboration between IT teams and C-level executives through one-day digital literacy classes.

In theory, a software developer's knowledge and "fluency" in a programming language should be an accurate gauge of his or her ability to perform well for a company. In practice, however, there are a host of skills and practices that can be learned only through on-the-job experience.

From sign-on bonuses to long-term equity bonus incentives to perks such as paying for the lease on a new Tesla, firms are upping the ante to attract and hire elite software development talent in a tight market.

It can be difficult enough to manage and motivate your teams when things are going well, but keeping morale high and people productive is even tougher if you've suffered a setback -- a failed project, layoffs, losing a major client -- or if personal issue are affecting a member of your team.

There's no question the cloud has revolutionized the way global business is done - increasing efficiency, cutting costs and making collaboration simpler, even when customers and partners are half a world away. Vince Sarrubi, CIO of Webcor Builders, talks with CIO.com about changing older workers' minds, finding technology "cheerleaders," and how his company has leveraged cloud technology to take a bricks-and-mortar business to new heights.

While 70 percent of hiring managers plan to hire more IT pros in the second half of 2014, candidates are showing they're not willing to accept just any offer. In fact, 32 percent of hiring managers and recruiters said in a recent Dice.com survey that their offers were being rejected, and a majority (61 percent) of respondents said candidates were asking for higher compensation than they did as recently as six months ago.

What's the most important quality leaders should have? Discipline? Drive? Obsession? The ability to motivate others? No, no, no and no. The answer is emotional IQ - or what's referred to in laymen's terms as empathy.

As an increasing number of companies are focusing on personality traits and potential cultural fit when hiring. These new interviewing tactics are designed to help recruiters and hiring managers uncover who candidates are -- rather than just what they can do.

The news that Microsoft will lay off approximately 18,000 workers -- most from the Nokia mobile phone business acquired by Microsoft earlier this year -- will unleash a flood of new talent into the IT hiring market, and could mean "open season" for recruiters, says Jason Berkowitz, vice president of client services for Seven Step RPO

For most people, summer's the perfect time to relax, take a vacation and operate at a more leisurely pace than during the rest of the year. But if you're a job-seeker, you can't afford to put your search on the back burner. Instead, use the slower pace and longer days to your advantage.

Everyone suffers under a bad manager - morale sinks, productivity tanks, absences increase. Even those above a bad manager in the corporate hierarchy feel the impact; executives must dedicate time to resolving conflicts, and often end up assuming the role and responsibility for those who aren't adequately doing their job, says says Patty Azzarello, CEO of Azzarello Group, and a business advisor, author and executive.

While many organizations struggle to retain top talent in a tight employment market, some firms are using intensive, rigorous hiring and training practices to ensure both that their hires are the right fit and that the employee stays for the long term.

In theory, the concept of "work-life balance" seems to make sense – splitting your days and weeks between a collaborative and connected working life while also enjoying personal activities and leisure time with friends, family, pursuing hobbies, exercise or just watching TV.