At the beginning of each year, my firm publishes a study of trends in hiring. We call it "Hot Jobs" and develop it based on extensive feedback from all our partners and consultants in each of our practice groups. Over the years, we have been remarkably prescient. With that rather immodest introduction, here are the Hot Jobs for 2006 that will directly affect the work of CIOs—organized by the larger, driving forces that are changing the business world.
Driving Force: China
Position: Executive In Residence With China Experience. China has the fastest-growing major economy, and businesses are taking notice. In a bid to increase and protect their presence in China, multinational corporations have begun aggressively recruiting for managers and executives with experience in China. CIOs should seek as much exposure to China as possible—both to enhance their ability to develop company-wide strategies in multinational situations and to develop expertise in what many consider the soon-to-be forefront of the technology industry.
Position: Board member with China experience. CIOs are increasingly in demand as members of public company boards. Those with China experience will be even more desirable.
Driving Force: Globalization
Corporations are becoming borderless entities and will need executives who can bring experience and vision to keep them sharp, strategic, and nimble.
Position: Chief Strategy Officer. The globalization of the economy is accelerating and creating greater demand for talent who can help grow a company's worldwide presence— on both the buy and sell side. The chief strategy officer's duties include global development and execution of a company's strategic outlook—a process that should directly involve the CIO. This includes identification and pursuit of new business opportunities globally, through internal development, M&A, investments, partnerships, alliances, and joint ventures. The CSO has been most common in the software industry, but we expect to see the position emerge in other industries in 2006.
Position: Global Collaboration Executive. Delegating decision-making on a global scale while coordinating the overall direction of a function, whether it be IT, finance, marketing or R&D, is a tremendous challenge. CIOs and other C-level executives who can institute collaboration globally are in demand and are being paid accordingly. Those CIOs who can demonstrate experience and success in helping build global enterprises will be prime candidates for the positions of both chief strategy officer and global collaboration executive.
Driving Force: Human Capital
Companies rise and fall on the basis of their most important asset: their workforce. CIOs, like other C-level executives, must work actively to recruit and retain the best talent.
Inclusion Advisory Board Member. There is a growing trend among U.S. companies toward creating an Inclusion Advisory Board, a type of diversity council to recruit women and minorities for senior-level positions. CIOs can expect to receive increased pressure to reach out and find talent that is currently underrepresented in the IT world. Although companies are beginning to recognize the importance of diversity, few are including IT on this board, which, in my opinion, is shortsighted. CIOs are often very sensitive to the need for increasing gender and other diversity among the IT ranks.
Driving Force: Global Risk/Disaster Planning
Whether to deal with natural (hurricanes, earthquakes) or man-made (terrorist attacks, cybercrime) disasters, companies are taking a closer look at their own disaster and business continuity plans and those of their partners and suppliers.
Position: Chief Security Officer. Sweeping changes in first-responder communications, interstate pandemic preparations, and continued globalization have multinational corporations rethinking security. Until recently companies turned to local law enforcement agencies when recruiting a chief security officer. However, companies are increasingly turning to candidates with an intelligence background. Moreover, the growing complexity of the technology involved with security requires that the chief security officer work closely with the CIO.
Position: Disaster Recovery Analyst or Engineer. This position is responsible for coordinating and developing crisis management, emergency response, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans—and IT is at the heart of all of it.
Start thinking about appropriate staffing at your company for each of these positions at your company, including whether any of your own subordinates are appropriate, so as to ensure that the IT viewpoint is considered.
Umesh Ramakrishnan is vice chairman of executive search firm Christian & Timbers.
Feedback question: Tell us what the hot jobs are at your company this year.
