In Chapter 2, I asked the question: what if farmer Brown s cows were free to go where they would best be looked after? And suggested that if workers had perfect knowledge of the employment market and could communicate freely with those offering the best work, then surely we should have to manage our people differently. Perhaps the comparison between IT workers and cattle is unfortunate, but possibly only from a worker s point of view. You might judge your organisation to be closer to farmer Brown than is comfortable after considering all the things you should be doing to manage your IT workers appropriately. Because your IT staff do have access to greener pastures. There is a vast industry directed specifically at enticing IT people to greener pastures. This industry has seen the web as their prime vehicle of enticement because IT people are all web-proficient. It is possible, in the space of a few hours of web-surfing to identify numerous job opportunities, compare packages and benefits and apply for the choice positions. There is a shift in power that most people haven t appreciated yet. The power is shifting rapidly from the employers into the hands of the worker. Gaining knowledge is easy for individuals, gaining access to jobs is easier, heralding the rise of the proletariat mercenaries people who sell their labour, but know the value of what they are selling.

Business, with their confused meddling with people s security and self-worth, is not blameless in provoking this rise in...