Key findings:(Source: Michael Page Technology 2014/15 CIO Viewpoint report60% of survey respondents report that their IT budget has grown over the past 12 months36% of CIOs report that technology headcount will increase in the next 12 months37% report they expect to see an improvement in the IT employment market compared to last yearTuesday, 16 September 2014: Innovation is a key focus this year for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) working across various industry sectors which is creating a positive IT employment market across Australia. As companies develop new business functions and make advances in software and hardware, they are restructuring their teams to increase efficiencies, according to the findings of the Michael Page Technology 2014/15 CIO Viewpoint report.CIOs currently have a positive view of the IT employment market, with more than a third (36%) of survey respondents reporting that the number of technology professionals employed by their organisation will increase during the next 12 months. Survey findings reveal that as companies look to strengthen their technology teams, 22% of CIOs are spending more time on talent planning which currently comprises 20-39% of their role.Corin Cheeseman, Director of Michael Page Technology says, “More than half of CIOs are looking to hire permanent staff, with a high demand for Business Analysts as well as IT professionals with service management skills and experience with agile software development. Advances in big data, mobility and cloud will continue to drive a strong requirement for Program Managers and Architects over the coming year. The preference towards hiring technology professionals on a temporary basis continues to grow due to fixed project budgets.”In terms of the customer experience, CIOs are primarily concentrating on improving processes and experiences for mobile and wireless devices. In 2014/15, mobility is the most important priority for the majority of respondents (35%), followed by Cloud Services (25%) and Digital (21%).Cloud services, digital marketing and e-commerce have been identified as the main skills shortages in the current market, and some CIOs report difficulty finding IT professionals with advanced soft business skills such as leadership and business acumen. 58% of CIOs reveal they would consider recruiting international talent if they were unable to source the required skills locally.“We are seeing CIOs shifting from their traditional technical focus to delivering optimal services to their customers,” says Cheeseman. “CIOs are also focused on operational efficiency and business resiliency, with no time for downtime. In light of this many are developing a flexible technology portfolio that has size without scale, creating a services portfolio that can quickly adapt to changing business and technology conditions.”About the Michael Page Technology 2014/15 CIO Viewpoint reportThe Michael Page Technology 2014/15 CIO Viewpoint report, produced by Michael Page Technology, is based on the survey findings of 62 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) working across a range of industry sectors in Australia. The report provides a snapshot of CIO perspectives on some of the key considerations facing CIOs over the coming 12 months including the introduction of technology innovations and strategies within their organisations, IT budget allocation and IT resourcing trends.
