The IT skills gap isn't a new issue; the digital industry has seen a decline in talent at the same time when demand is on the rise. To help mitigate the issue, it may do well for CIOs to turn to an unlikely ally: the chief human resources officer.
In a Wall Street Journal post, Gary Beach, former publisher of CIO Magazine writes a relationship between a CIO and a CHRO is critical to the success of an organization. In fact, he said CIOs' careers depend on this relationship.
Mr. Beach quotes Peter Capelli, PhD, with The Wharton School who, discussing the history of human resources, said, "Though the human resource position has ebbed and flowed in importance, today it lacks vision and strategic insight." Mr. Beach then adds his own comments to say, "Doesn't Dr. Capelli's statement describe well the role of the CIO over the past 30 years?"
Mr. Beach writes this perceived lack of vision and strategy has caused many organizations to miss out on the diverse tech talent they seek. Instead, they should double down on recruiting efforts.
Mr. Beach also quotes Aileen Wilkins, chief people officer for H&R Block, who said, "The CIO and the CHRO have to become more active in the war for talent. Everyone is a recruiter."
However, most organizations don't have a CHRO. Mr. Beach says job posting company Indeed.com lists just 39 open CHRO positions globally. So, he says CIOs who don't have a CHRO with which to partner should advocate for one within their executive committees by reaching out to leaders to start an initiative to create such a position.
"CIOs need strong CHROs to help hire, develop and retain talent needed to continue the process of digitally transforming their corporation — talent that will drive larger revenues and profit," Mr. Beach writes.
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