Q+A: Key concerns for IT professionals in 2009

Adam Pizzie IT sector manager at headhunter Robert Walters

Adam Pizzie talks to Computing about the changing role of the IT leader

As Christmas approaches and IT staff across the country don their party hats and chat drunkenly about how best to integrate IT with the business - in much the same way as they did last year - Computing is trying to ascertain whether, if at all, conversations around the role of the CIO within the business are changing.

IT recruitment company, Robert Walters, conducted a survey as part of our Tomorrow's IT Leaders campaign, in which 155 IT leaders from small and medium companies were asked questions about the changing role of the IT professional.

Adam Pizzie, manager of the IT division at Robert Walters, discussed the results with Computing.

Computing: What does the survey tell us about the concerns of ambitious IT professional today as opposed to a year or two ago?

Pizzie: It's a truism, but CIOs absolutely must be aligned with the business and have a thorough understanding of the needs of that business. Yes, companies have always been looking to save money through good provision of technology, but the difficulties of the last 18 months have meant that making good, strategic IT decisions can keep an ailing company afloat. IT leaders therefore have an increasing desire for business knowledge. The majority [86 of 155] of the CIOs questioned said that they had been asked to take on more responsibilities as a result of the recession and many of these extra responsibilities are likely to be within the region of business strategy in my view.

C: Everyone talks about business alignment, but are there more ways in which aspiring IT leaders should be looking to develop?

P: Well, it is important that they are aware of all the new technologies in the market. They should be involved in steering committees and seminars to keep abreast of these. They must keep an eye on companies offering new solutions and be involved in social networking sites. In my opinion LinkedIn is the most useful. The area of skills is related to knowledge. If someone looking to develop a career in IT does some good research themselves, they can demand specific and relevent skills development from their employer (110 of 155 respondents said that a lack of skills/knowledge had prevented them taking on a more senior role).

C: What are the impediments to IT aligning to the business?

P: The international nature of the IT industry can be an impediment in this way. To be really informed, an ambitious member of the IT department will have to know every area of the business, but there are likely to be business divisions situated in different countries. With shrinking budgets, travel is less of an option than it used to be. Skype and videoconferencing can bridge the gap but not completely. To know a business area it helps to have visited and seen the set up.

C: Explain the problems the average CIO faces in terms of career development

P: In the survey, over half of respondents attributed the problems in IT career development to lack of opportunity and lack of training [81 of 155]. However, many bigger companies are addressing this as they need their IT staff to be as well informed as possible.

C: How do you think the IT sector will pan out in 2010?

P: Well the market was unpredictable last year and it will continue to be in 2010. There isn’t one story for the IT industry, rather it depends on which vertical market you are working in. For example last year re-insurance companies significantly ramped up their IT provisions. This was because of the new Solvency II cash reserve, which requires considerable data retention and data intelligence. [The solvency regime applies to all EU insurers and reinsurers, and also covers the insurance operation of bancassurers. It is due to come into effect in 2012].

On the other hand, and more obviously, high-end IT consultancies are too expensive and so have been recruiting less, while those consultancies with more competitive cost models will have benefitted from the economic environment to some extent.