In fact, such platitudes are easily ignored. They become meaningless and ultimately lose their value.
It's all too human to disregard good advice, I'm living proof of that!
But seriously, staff should be prized by every IT department in this country, particularly those seeking to retain talent.
We can't ignore our aging workforce or the IT skills shortage, it won't simply go away.
So why is there such a stubborn resistance to teleworking and accommodating a more flexible working environment?
As the latest research from the Australian federal government's Teleworking Advisory Committee shows, it isn't technology that's stalling change, but archaic attitudes.
The benefits of greater flexibility through job sharing and teleworking are overwhelmingly clear. There is no shortage of evidence proving it increases productivity, improves job satisfaction, promotes greater work/life balance and allows for job sharing arrangements so that people currently inhibited from the workforce due to family responsibilities, age or disabilities, can contribute to the Australian economy.
Managers causing the greatest harm to workplace change are those preoccupied with how they can 'check up' or monitor teleworkers.
It is the age of mobility, not 9 to 5 visibility!
It is these very same managers that neglect staff training, which is key to retaining good staff.
IT workers who don't feel they're getting an adequate level of training from employers are more inclined to move on, according to a survey by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), an IT trade association.
Of 462 IT workers surveyed, 56 percent said they would seek out alternate employment if training was lacking or if they had to pay for it themselves. The survey found a lot of IT professionals pay for their own training, which indicates employers don't have good career paths mapped out for staff.
How are you protecting your greatest asset? E-mails to sandra_rossi@idg.com.au