Although there may be a general downturn in the IT jobs market,
there are more senior posts being advertised. Julia Vowler
asks four IT headhunters what qualities business leaders are
looking for.
Last month's Computer Weekly/SSP salary survey showed that the one
section of the IT profession bucking the general downtrend was the
most senior one. The survey reported a 19% increase in advertised
IT directors' jobs in the last quarter, and a 15% rise in their
advertised salaries.
But how can you guarantee snapping up one of these jobs? Four
headhunters give their views of the current state of the market for
heads of IT and what firms are looking for.
Justin Gilbert, Odgers, Ray and Berndston
"Last year saw a significant contraction, but it picked up around
October. However, chief information officer roles have changed,"
says Gilbert. "The demand now is for more hybrid CIOs - the role is
evolving. Now they have to be not just heads of IT. Yes, they have
to be able to run IT, but our briefs are to find someone who can do
procurement, contract and change management too.
"Clients want one person to do two-and-a-half jobs - a 'man for all
seasons'. At the very top you cannot just be an IT guy."
They are still only being paid for one job, however. "CIO salaries
are steady, they have not dropped at the top level." Posts with
£500,000 a year salaries may not be cropping up any more. However,
"People will always pay top dollar for really good people," he
says.
Although many heads of IT have proved risk-averse and have been
sitting it out during the recession, Gilbert does see signs of
increased activity at CIO level. "At the beginning of the year a
significant number of people came out of the woodwork. They do not
say they are looking for a job, but they are receptive to being
given a nod."
Then there are the IT directors that Gilbert terms "paratroopers" -
the CIOs who go in like a whirlwind for three years, "make it
happen and then want to move on to the next challenge. They want to
add more strings to their bow, and get new experiences - say
outsourcing, or a merger and acquisition."
Nick Marsh, Harvey Nash
"There are companies hiring, and people are moving, but salaries
have flattened. We are not seeing an increase," says Marsh. "Even
in new recruitment salaries are being pegged."
But the good news is that they are not falling for IT directors -
as they have elsewhere - some corporate departments have suffered
15% salary downturns at senior level.
Caution is keeping feet under familiar desks. "People are not
jumping ship, but we can unseat good people if there is good reason
[for them to move]."
But clients want dynamic IT leaders who can explain to company
boards how their work is helping the business.
"We are asked to find people who can make an impact on business -
they want more from their CIOs. They have to be seen to be adding
real value, giving back a pound and a penny for every pound they
spend."
But IT leaders want more too, if they are going to be put on the
spot. "They want financial support from the finance director if
they are going to have to give more information about costs."
Some IT leaders are becoming so concerned about getting the
business to recognise the value they deliver they are hiring
corporate communications people help them to sell the value of the
IT department to business, says Marsh.
Alan Simpson, Best International
The job market for IT directors is tough, says Simpson. Yet for the
elite CIOs - with a lot of understanding of their own specialist
sector and ideally between 40 and 45 with an MBA under their belt
there is demand. This is because they are a rare breed.
Clients want IT directors who "come in with a different perspective
on business performance", hesays. "There appear to be plenty of
such people but when you look there is a finite pool who are
commercially oriented with business acumen, so clients will pay a
premium for them. They are the candidates everyone is after."
But, he says, "They are more difficult to lever out because of the
instability of the market. For them it is a question of 'better the
devil you know', so they are more resistant to moving unless the
package is spectacular."
Depending on the job remit, packages for such top-CIOs "can float
to over £200,000 a year, and if there is 'global' in the title they
can go beyond".
Even so, "They need to be enticed out - found and lifted." To do
that, they must be offered a lure. "They want autonomy - they do
not want the finance director holding the purse strings - and they
want a challenge. They are not interested in maintenance."
Cathy Holley, Ellis Holley Maxwell
"The CIO market is stagnant," says Holley. "There is no significant
activity at the top level of CIO."
Those few positions being fielded are easily attracting 500 to 600
responses, and include former CIOs used to drawing down £400,000
salaries going for £100,000 a year posts, just because they are
unemployed, she says.
Holley cautions strongly against moving out of employment
unnecessarily - however tempting a severance package can be, or
however bored a CIO feels.
She has become used to having incumbent IT leaders, whom she is
visiting to discuss their department's recruitment needs, throwing
in a last question - "and is there anything you are working on?"
This is code for "they are getting itchy feet".
"A lot of CIOs move every three years, but got caught by the
recession on the point of moving, and have now been in a post for
five years and really want to move on," she says.
Holley believes they should stay put. "It is a zillion times easier
to get a job when you have one - if you are sitting at home
headhunters won't know where to find you. Don't give up your job -
you won't just walk into a new one. The market is dire and there
are a lot of extremely good people around."
For those applying for jobs, it is not enough to submit standard
CVs, she says. A well-written CV customised for each application is
essential. "You need to be spot on or you will join the other 599
CVs," she says. "You've got to pass the 'so-what' test on your
achievements."
Bullet points of technical achievements rather than business value
creation is what clients want in a CIO. They want to see something
more than competence, or even excellence, says Holley.
"They want a spark, a bit of passion. They don't want 'a safe pair
of hands'. No one wants to hire someone dull."
What headhunters' clients want
- One person to do two-and-a-half jobs
- People who can make an impact on business. CIOs have to be seen
to be adding real value
- IT directors with a different perspective on business
performance
- They want a spark, a bit of passion. They don't want "a safe
pair of hands". No one wants to hire someone dull.