FEATURE : CIO PROGRESSION
WITH SUCH FIERCE COMPETITION FOR TECH TALENT , CIOS ARE HAVING TO LOOK BEYOND METHODS WHICH ARE NOW COMMONPLACE . labour shortage – particularly in tech roles . It ’ s tougher than ever for CIOs to find the talent to build in-house teams that can deliver their projects at the speed they need to keep up with competitors . This is clearly true of software developers in particular , which now account for a third of all job postings in the US .
Understanding what ’ s important
This problem isn ’ t limited to the UK ; we ’ re seeing businesses struggling to find technical talent on a global scale . In fact , recent research suggests that three in 10 developers in India have started a new job already this year , highlighting incredible churn in the industry .
Tech is driving business growth
The CIO has traditionally been siloed , with a responsibility for overseeing the technology side of a business . But as the role of technology has increased in prominence within the enterprise and in the digitalfirst channels they use to engage customers , so has the role of the CIO . This means that more than ever , their responsibilities are directly linked with delivering revenue-driving projects and experiences ; a conclusion many businesses are coming to . And what a weight to have on their shoulders , especially when many organisations are still adapting to the postpandemic market . This is not a job to be done alone . There was a skills shortage before the pandemic , but a defining factor of the post-pandemic market is the
This is putting employee retention strategies right to the top of the CIO ’ s priority list . Even in an era where the supply of digital skills is way behind demand , the fierce competition has brought workforce management into the remit of tech leadership where it wasn ’ t before .
The first port of call for many is to increase starting salaries . However , it ’ s near impossible to compete on wages , which have already skyrocketed in recent months as companies attempt to compete for the best talent . However , even companies offering high salaries are struggling to hire , demonstrating that despite inflation and rising cost-of-living , employees ’ values have changed .
Now , it ’ s businesses offering flexibility that are winning the war for technical talent . However , it ’ s
56 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com