Today’s business owners are not only
requiring their IT staff to be highly
skilled in their technical trade, but are asking them to take on a more collaborative
approach to management and business operations, and to become more business savvy.
Fifty percent of chief information officers
(CIOs) say they are actively preparing IT staff
for leadership roles at their companies,
according to a recent survey by Robert Half
Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis.
Commonly cited tactics include mentoring
programs (43 percent), management training
(42 percent) and soft-skills training (35 percent). The national poll includes responses
from more than 1,400 CIOs from a stratified
random sample of U.S. companies.
One problem companies could face is
that experienced IT employees might be
preparing for retirement — all at once.
These individuals are often tenured leaders
who have helped a company grow and
develop over the years. Business owners
struggle as they try to figure out how to
replace these influential members, says
John Paul Demirdjian, branch manager of
Robert Half Technology in Chicago.
Smart Business spoke with Demirdjian
about what steps should be taken to prepare IT employees for leadership roles,
what factors are important to consider
when choosing a candidate and how rein-vesting in current employees is the best
investment for companies.
How are companies preparing members of
their IT staff for leadership roles?
Some companies are early adapters and
have already begun succession planning
for the future of their company. These companies have identified potential candidates
and have invested time and money into
training programs so they can develop
future leaders. This may include defined
mentor programs where people work with
or shadow current leaders. Others hold
less formal quarterly meetings where
employees and leaders meet to examine
new trends, set expectations for the future
and address changes within the industry.
Soft skills such as communication, delegation, business skills, public speaking and
management are now top requirements for
IT personnel. Training programs can be used
to help IT individuals develop these skills. IT
has become a ‘team sport’ and is a critical
moving part of the entire business, rather
than a segmented department within a company. In today’s technical world, a company’s
success will be severely limited without a
highly integrated, well-oiled IT operation.
Why is engaging in succession planning a
good financial investment?
It can be more expensive to replace an
employee than it is to invest in his or her
retention. It is no longer appropriate to assign
employees to a single task with no room for
advancement; a career path must be created
and clearly outlined for the retention of such
employees. This outline motivates IT staff
members to stay loyal to the company and
provides strong leadership opportunity.
The trend of reinvesting in employees
will continue as people realize that overall
business will improve from the standpoint
of retention, productivity and profit. Major
amounts of time are saved by training current employees, and any time you can save
time, you are saving money.
Leveraging an employee’s institutional knowledge is extremely valuable, and investing in their future allows you to retain that
critical and often undocumented knowledge
within the company. Owners and managers
look for the most predictable result; therefore, investing in an employee already on
staff is much more reliable and predictable
than starting fresh with a new employee.
How can managers predict where employees
belong in the future?
This process varies, depending on the
industry and size of the business. Generally,
managers are looking for consistent performers and employees who are willing to
take the extra step without being asked.
Employers who review employees’ abilities
find these people through regular evaluations. To be successful, leaders need to get to
know their employees and be present to see
what happens in day-to-day operations.
Employers also look for people who can
stretch their skills and take on new tasks.
This process does not have to be complicated but can be a great test of a person’s ability
to take on leadership roles down the road.
What type of training is the most beneficial
and what can employees do if training is not
offered within a company?
Balance is the key to the best training possible. An IT department that can leverage
multiple streams of training and implement
informal and formal company-sponsored
events with desk-side coaching will see the
greatest returns. There are numerous ways in
which individuals can obtain such skills outside of the workplace. Professional organizations, industry associations and technology
user-groups are designed to help develop an
individual’s soft skills.
Additionally, many classes are available
online, at community colleges, and at business organizations dedicated to such training. These courses can be customized and
developed to the exacting needs of an
organization or an individual.
JOHN PAUL DEMIRDJIAN is the branch manager of
Robert Half Technology in Chicago. You can reach him at
[email protected].