Free Membership Existing Members Weekly e.Newsletter Expert Insight Tech Showcase Breaking News Research Center Required Reading Advertising Info About Us Site Search	Research Documents Select Category Breaking News Contributed Articles In Other News Required Reading Research Documents White Papers How to Succeed as a CIO in a New Company The first 90 days are the most critical for new CIOs. The success of the CIO is based on results. Too often new CIOs try to do too much before they know enough. According to the IT Productivity Center, six things that a new CIO should do are: Find an Internal Ally - It is crucial to quickly get to know the new company. But since no one can be everywhere at once, it's good to have an observant adviser within the company. Find someone in the company to "be your counselor, letting you know if the troops need more attention or if they're confused." An ally does not have to be a peer or a direct report; it can be junior colleague who is attuned to the workforce and unafraid to share their observations. Often people who needed help rarely came directly to you and ask for help. Hire a Strong Ally - Hire someone who know how you work and what your strengths and weakness are. They can be a sounding board and at the same time another ally who is totally loyal to you. Get Things under Control - A CIO who wants to position himself as a strategic partner to executive management should avoid getting bogged down in detail tasks. A new CIO should establish a strong leadership persona, whether that means adding positions, hiring people, or reorganizing. The new company needs the new CIO to have a team and processes in place that support the new CIO's success. That’s not going to happen in 90 days, but the CIO needs to have the commitment in place to support them going forward. Focus on the Right Issues - CIOs want to control costs and processes, and what better way to do that than tightening the purse strings or project initiatives of the IT department. CIOs often think they've got to set an example and that is often the wrong issue to focus on. Doing something solely to be a model for the company can be a mistake because it may send the wrong message. And more than anything, a new CIO needs to be viewed as a team player. Be a Collaborator - When it comes to strategy, it's easiest to forge ahead if executives across the company are on board. Particularly for a new CIO, it's important to vet plans with the right people, whether launching an IT transformation or introducing a new initiative. Keep them updated on where things stand so that they're hearing how the project is advancing. That way you're constantly winning buy-in for the next move. A new CIO should also look for informal support and feedback on how to make projects more efficient and less disruptive to the business. Many of the things the CIO do have a big impact on the other business functions. It's critical for the CIO to gather input and make sure that he is doing what he can to make it as easy as possible. Listen - A new CIO should spend lots of time listening. Many CIO spend too much time talking and not enough time taking notes on what they hear. When you're new, you find so much information and get so many ideas, but it's not wise to act on those ideas immediately. Rather, the first 90 days are an opportunity to determine which strategies, people, and processes are healthy and which need improvement. [Full Article] Jan-20-2012 Young Professionals, College Students Admit They'll Go to Extreme Measures for Internet Access Despite IT Policies Seven out of 10 young employees frequently ignore IT policies, and one in four is a victim of identity theft before the age of 30, according to a global study from Cisco. The final set of findings from the three-part Cisco Connected World Technology Report reveals startling attitudes toward IT policies and growing security threats posed by the next generation of employees entering the workforce – a demographic that grew up with the Internet and has an increasingly on-demand lifestyle that mixes personal and business activity in the workplace. Considering that at least one of every three employees (36%) responded negatively when asked if they respect their IT departments, balancing IT policy compliance with young employees' desires for more flexible access to social media, devices, and remote access is testing the limits of traditional corporate cultures. At the same time, these employee demands are placing greater pressure on recruiters, hiring managers, IT departments, and corporate cultures to allow more flexibility in the hope the next wave of talent can provide an edge over competitors. Key Findings Adhering to IT policies Of those who were aware of IT policies, seven of every 10 (70%) employees worldwide admitted to breaking policy with varying regularity. Among many reasons, the most common was the belief that employees were not doing anything wrong (33%). One in five (22%) cited the need to access unauthorized programs and applications to get their job done, while 19% admitted the policies are not enforced. Some (18%) said they do not have time to think about policies when they are working, and others either said adhering to the policies is not convenient (16%), they forget to do so (15%), or their bosses aren't watching them (14%). Two of three (67%) respondents said IT policies need to be modified to address real-life demands for more work flexibility. Companies restrict many devices and social media applications. Of these, young employees said online gaming (37%) was the most commonly restricted application. Apple iPods (15%) were the most commonly restricted device. One in 10 (10%) employees globally said IT policies prohibit the use of iPads and tablets, signaling a growing challenge for IT teams as tablet popularity increases. Three of 10 employees (31%) said social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were prohibited as well. Three of five employees (61%) believe they are not responsible for protecting information and devices, believing instead that IT and/or service providers are accountable. Risky behavior: Unsupervised computer usage More than half of the employees surveyed globally (56%) said they have allowed others to use their computers without supervision – family, friends, coworkers, and even people they do not know. College students exhibited higher tendencies than young employees to engage in risky online behavior. More than four of five college students (86%) said they have allowed others to use their computer unsupervised, indicating that this behavior is only going to become more prevalent as the next generation of employees enters the workforce over the next few years. More than one in 10 college students (16%) admitted leaving personal belongings and devices unattended in public, while getting something to eat or drink at a café or going to the restroom. [Full Article] Jan-20-2012 Nearly One in Four Companies Expects to Hire for Executive Level Positions Over Next Six Months As caution continues to dictate the economic climate, many companies are recruiting top talent to navigate uncertainty and maintain a competitive advantage. Twenty-three percent of employers expect to hire for executive-level positions over the next six months, according to CareerBuilder's new nationwide survey of more than 2600 hiring managers and human resources professionals. Consistent with hiring expectations for all workers, information technology companies are leading the way in executive hiring, with 35 percent reporting they'll fill top positions over the next six months. Other areas expecting to recruit executives include healthcare (25 percent), sales (24 percent), professional and business services (23 percent), financial services (23 percent) and leisure/hospitality (23 percent). Profile of Executive-Level Candidates The survey found that recruiting for executive-level positions is not necessarily an internal task. While a third of employers prefer to look for executive level candidates internally, 18 percent prefer to look externally and half place equal emphasis on internal and external candidates. One-in-five employers look for a candidate with an MBA, comparable degree, or higher level degree when recruiting executive-level positions. While prior industry experience is an important asset for many employers, 47 percent would still be willing to hire a candidate without it, suggesting that past accomplishments and leadership style are paramount in the executive recruitment process. The forecast confirms that, for the most part, the right experience comes with age. According to employers, the average executive is age 41 or older. Forty-five percent of executives are between 41 and 50-years-old and 29 percent are older than 50. Twenty-six percent of executives are age 40 or younger. The following are other qualities employers look for most in executive-level candidates: Proven ability in addressing problems with effective solutions (74 percent) Adept at motivating others (63 percent) Can act with speed and agility in a changing market (55 percent) Creativity (52 percent) Emotional Intelligence (46 percent) Experience in different areas (44 percent) [Full Article] Nov-11-2011 Survey Reveals Today's IT Professional Workforce is Content and Optimistic about the Future Amid fears of a "double-dip" recession, rising unemployment, and continued economic turbulence, a new survey of IT professionals conducted by Modis, a provider of information technology staffing solutions, paints a brighter picture of the current career outlook for the field. According to the survey, a large majority (89 percent) of IT professionals are happy at their current job and two-thirds (64 percent) intend to stay where they are presently employed. In addition, nearly half (44 percent) of all IT professionals expect a raise next year, while only a quarter (26 percent) expect their salaries to remain the same. This widespread career contentment may be the result of survey respondents feeling that the things they find most critical to their job satisfaction are being fulfilled. These factors include having a boss that does not micromanage (70 percent), having a good salary and benefits (62 percent), and having opportunities to receive training in new technical skills (61 percent). Modis' survey, conducted by Braun Research, Inc., also revealed which areas of IT are expected to see the most growth over the next five years. Cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) are seen as poised for the most growth (29 percent), closely followed by security (21 percent) and mobile solutions (18 percent). Additional findings from Modis' survey include: Cost savings is a top priority for IT organizations. Perhaps a result of the economic recovery, IT professionals say the most cited priorities for their organizations today are achieving cost savings (62 percent), followed closely by finding IT solutions for internal demands (61 percent) and taking a more integrated approach to improve communications with the rest of the business (52 percent). IT professionals are cautiously optimistic about increasing their team size in 2012. While the majority of IT professionals (65 percent) believe their IT team will stay the same size in 2012, more than a quarter (28 percent) think their teams will increase headcount either marginally or significantly in the year ahead. Feelings about job security in IT vary. If another economic slowdown occurs, a quarter (25 percent) of IT professionals indicate that they'd be very concerned about losing their job and a third (32 percent) would have some concerns. A confident 42 percent, however, say they wouldn't be concerned at all about losing their job. Good old-fashioned networking is the best way to find a new IT position. More than a third (35 percent) of IT professionals said that networking with other IT people is the most effective way to land an IT job. Interestingly, despite their implied tech-savvy, only 8 percent said that social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are most effective for landing an IT job. [Full Article] Nov-11-2011 New WorkForce Software Study Reveals Key Trends for Human Resource Professionals WorkForce Software, a provider of workforce management solutions, announced the availability of the 2011 Workforce Management Trend Survey. Conducted in conjunction with Workforce Management, the survey provided unique insight into the opportunities and obstacles affecting HR and payroll professionals. Based upon the participation of 800 senior HR practitioners, key findings include: Managing employee absences and adhering to leave policies continue to present challenges 51% of respondents find implementing changes to leave regulations "hard" or "very hard" 57% believe there is increased scrutiny on compliance with leave laws The vast majority (68%) ranked "damaged employee morale" as the greatest impact of non-compliance, ahead of "litigation and fines" (22%) and damage to "brand equity or reputation" (10%) Compliance with HR/payroll policies and regulations drive workforce management activities 67% of respondents stated the top function they rely on workforce management solutions to address is "ensure compliance," followed by "improve accuracy of time-based data" (52%) and "drive efficiency gains" (38%) Conducting business in a challenging economy continues to weigh on HR operations 83% of respondents indicated their HR technology budget has "remained flat" or "decreased" During the past 12 months: 47% of organizations have not filled vacated potions, 45% have reduced the workforce and 32% have reduced benefits These factors appear to be contributing to employee burnout, as 83% of respondents indicated workers are more fatigued than in previous years (up from 81% in the 2010 survey) Another interesting finding is that, despite the reliance on workforce management systems for ensuring compliance, only 17% percent of respondents reported that their existing systems provided 100% coverage. Nearly half of the organizations surveyed have commercial workforce management software in place but still require some manual intervention to complete critical time & attendance, absence management, and labor scheduling activities. [Full Article] Oct-14-2011   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Next >> Page: 1/19   Articles: 91

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