Key findings:(Source: Michael Page Technology 2103-14 CIO Viewpoint Report)eCommerce, Big Data and Cloud Services are the top three priorities for CIOs over the coming 12 months. 53% of CIOs believe the implementation of Cloud Services will have a moderate impact on their business and 29% expect a significant impact. 34% of CIOs will see 2-3% of overall revenue reinvested into IT, while 28% will benefit from their company investing 5% or more.10 September 2013: While Chief Information Officers (CIOs) working in various industries around Australia will spend the bulk of their time on ‘business as usual’ operational work, the continued emergence of IT innovation areas such as Big Data, eCommerce and Cloud Services will shape the hiring outlook and the skill sets in demand within the technology profession over the coming year.Based on the findings of the Michael Page Technology 2013-14 CIO Viewpoint report, 38% of surveyed CIOs spend between 20-39% of their time on operational work and 33% dedicate between 40-59% of their time on this work. Transformational tasks take up a smaller percentage of CIOs’ workload, with 48% spending between 20-39% of their time on transformational work and 58% spending within the same range of time on aligning the IT strategy with that of the business.eCommerce is the priority innovation area for the largest percentage of CIOs (31%), followed by 28% citing Big Data and a further 23% choosing Cloud Services. The continued emergence of Cloud Services is having an impact on the IT function, with 53% of CIOs believing Cloud Services will have a moderate impact and 29% expect a significant impact on their business.“The focus on eCommerce and Big Data highlights that many businesses are focused on connecting with their customers and driving revenue through mobile devices and internet availability,” says Ms. Emily Wilson, Director of Michael Page Technology.In terms of IT spend, 34% of CIOs will see 2-3% of the business’s overall revenue reinvested into IT, while 28% will benefit from their company investing 5% or more. Compared to the previous year, the majority of CIOs surveyed (38%) will work with a similar budget over the coming 12 months while 33% expect to have an increased budget and 29% will need to carry out their IT responsibilities working with a reduced budget to the previous year.“IT headcount for CIOs over the coming 12 months is expected to be stable with the previous year for 45% of survey respondents, and 30% indicate they will increase the size of their teams,” says Ms. Wilson.“We are also seeing the hiring of permanent employees as the preference over fixed term contractors, according to 43% of surveyed CIOs, indicating the commitment to build teams with the relevant skill sets to progress project innovation initiatives,” she adds.
