1、/strategic-cio-2022INDEPENDEN T P U B L I C AT I O N BY24/04/2022#0800RACONTEUR.NETof their businesses,gaining a rare breadth of commercial understanding from a unique vantage point,”he says.As the role becomes less about leading a function and more about developing strategy,there will be an inevita

2、ble shift in the kinds of skills required of a successful CIO,Levantis pre-dicts,adding:“Being more stra-tegic means that restricting yourself to supporting the busi-ness with technology is no longer an option.The CIO needs to be an imaginative generator of commercial ideas who can collaborate or le

3、ad on the creation of new business models and revenue streams.”As a multinational manufac-turing,logistics and advisory company,Unipart Group has a 200-strong IT team in the UK and India that serves several blue-chip clients.Levantis has the task of expanding the groups offering in IT ser-vices beyo

4、nd the bounds of logistics to cre-ate a standalone business.“CIOs of the future or,rather,the very present should operate as business execu-tives with a technology angle.This requires them to have qualities focused on business creation and growth.For instance,financial planning skills and a working

5、knowledge of contract law will become increasingly cen-tral to the role of a strategic CIO.”Stuart Whittle,CIO of law firm Weight-mans,believes that the role is also becoming much more concerned with relationships.“The CIO must prioritise building part-nerships inside the business and with their ser

6、vice suppliers instead of focusing on a gaining deeper understanding of machine code,”he argues.Whittle has played a leading role in his firms most recent strategic review.He has guided it towards being a data-driven busi-ness and,he says,the advantages have been evident.“As part of the new strategy

7、,weve trans-formed historically manual,hand-cranked Top of stack:the rise of the connected CIOCompanies are increasingly seeing their IT chiefs as high-level business advisers.What are the skills that have enabled them to escape the tech silo and assume truly strategic leadership roles?he role of th

8、e IT chief is changing fast.Recent research by CIO.com indicates that,within three years,more than half of corporate tech chiefs will focus less on overseeing functional work and more on developing strategies for the whole business.While the CIOs stock was already on the rise before the Covid crisis

9、,the move from basement to boardroom has been fast-tracked by the pandemic.When the first lockdowns were imposed,it was CIOs who drove the urgent shift to digital platforms and services.As a result,their organisations increasingly view them as strategic advis-ers,inevitably blurring the lines betwee

10、n the IT function and the wider enterprise.The growing strategic importance of the CIO is highlighted by recent increases in the rewards offered by the role.A survey by recruitment firm Mondo indicates that the average CIO salary has risen by 21%year on year in the US,for instance.So what accounts f

11、or the greater empha-sis on strategy?More crucially,what does it mean to be more strategic as a CIO?Omid Shiraji is a consultant CIO who works for several local authorities,including West-minster City Council and the London Bor-ough of Newham.He also sits on the mayoral Smart London Board,a digital

12、data advisory body for the capital.This role,he says,plays into the changing nature of the CIO.“There are hundreds upon hundreds of lines of business in local government,all doing different things.Its important to know how various organisations intersect and how technology enables those different el

13、ements to work together.A CIO must focus on outcomes and their value to the busi-ness.They must be able to talk the right kind of language to different people with different perspectives,”he says.“Thats really different from what the CIO role has traditionally been.”At Newham,Shirajis role is focuse

14、d on the councils strategic direction.“Theres an economic growth strategy,a job strategy,a patient strategy and a council transforma-tion strategy.Its all to do with digital data,so I advise on that,”he says.At Westminster,meanwhile,“there is a clear ambition to be the smartest city in the universe”

15、.The questions occupying Shira-jis mind here include:“How do you build an ecosystem of partners,suppliers and citi-zens to work with the council to solve prob-lems?How do you fundamentally rethink what youre delivering to residents,because it might not be what they need?And how do you set yourselves

16、 up with the teams and the ways of working with the tech to tackle those things?”He continues:“Youre not buying a solu-tion or deploying a new system.Youre bringing together a bunch of people with a range of digital skills and youre showing the organisation how to work in a different way.”Shiraji be

17、lieves that the CIOs rise to prominence in organisations has been inev-itable,given their increasing reliance on digital tech.CIOs who understand“how technology can be applied to solve business problems and who can speak that common language will emerge into positions where they can help organisatio

18、ns to think and act in dif-ferent ways”,he says.“CIOs can see every activity from the top across the strategic level.They are best placed to be having those conversations.”Yiannis Levantis,group CIO of Unipart Group,agrees.“CIOs have found themselves getting deeply involved with most or all function

19、s work into increasingly standardised pro-cesses,”Whittle explains.“The benefit is that we can reduce our clients legal expenditure and change the billing struc-ture to more of a fixed-fee model instead of the traditional hourly rate.”He continues:“The other advantage of working hard to develop inte

20、grated solu-tions for repeatable,predictable processes is that we have been able to enhance our lawyers workflows,saving them time and money,sweat and tears.”How will a typical IT chief be operating in a few years time?Shiraji says that he has spotted“a big shift”in the types of people who are becom

21、ing CIOs.“A lot of them arent technologists by background,”he reports.“Many are simply great leaders.Theyre humble,they under-stand humanity and they demonstrate clar-ity and integrity.They understand the importance of how people work together and how tech can be applied.They might not know how to c

22、ode or write application programming interfaces,but they do understand the power of technology.”THE STRATEGIC CIOU K R A I N EH I R I N GI N T E RV I E WBruised but not broken,Ukraines IT sector remains resilient while war rages onHow businesses can look beyond the usual tech candidates to help clos

23、e the skills gapBoots Richard Corbridge explains a CIOs role in effecting business transformation020608Christine HortonTCIOS ARE SPLITTING THEIR TIME BETWEEN THE TRANSFORMATIONAL,THE STRATEGIC AND THE FUNCTIONALThe percentage of CIOs that say the following best characterise their focus and how they

24、spend their time in their current role*Restricting yourself to supporting the business with technology is no longer an option.The CIO needs to be an imaginative generator of commercial ideas L E A D E R S H I P58%of CIOs are considered strategic advisers within their business52%of CIOs report engagi

25、ng with their CEOs more than any other C-suite leaderNick EasenAward-winning writer and broadcaster,covering science,tech,economics and business,and producing content for BBC World News,CNN and Time.Cath EverettAn experienced journalist of 30 years,specialising in workplace,people and leadership iss

26、ues,which includes what it means to be an ethical business.Sam ForsdickRaconteurs staff writer,with particular interest in technology and the future of work.He has previously written for I-CIO,NS Business,Press Gazette and New Statesman.Christine HortonLong-term contributor to specialist IT titles,C

27、hristine writes about technologys impact on business.She is also tech editor at B2B agency alan.Emily SearesAn award-winning editor and business journalist,who writes for a wide range of national publications.Sally WhittleExperienced business and technology writer for national newspapers and B2B mag

28、azines in the UK and US.Distributed inAlthough this publication is funded through advertising and sponsorship,all editorial is without bias and sponsored features are clearly labelled.For an upcoming schedule,partnership inquiries or feedback,please call+44(0)20 8616 7400 or e-mail .Raconteur is a l

29、eading publisher of special-interest content and research.Its pub-lications and articles cover a wide range of topics,including business,finance,sustainability,healthcare,lifestyle and technology.Raconteur special reports are published exclu-sively in The Times and The Sunday Times as well as online

30、 at .The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the Proprietors believe to be correct.However,no legal liability can be accepted for any errors.No part of this publication may be reproduced with-out the prior consent of the Publisher.Raconteur Mediaraconteur/raconte

31、ur_londonContributorsLead publisher John OkellDeputy editorFrancesca CassidyReports editorIan DeeringSub-editorsNeil ColeChris RyderCommercial content editorsLaura BithellBrittany GolobHead of productionJustyna OConnellDesign and production assistantLouis NassDesignKellie JerrardCelina LuceyColm McD

32、ermottSamuele MottaSean Wyatt-LivesleyManaging editorSarah VizardDesign directorTim WhitlockIllustrationSara Gelfgren State of the CIO,2022IBM,2022Foundry,2022*Due to rounding,some years do not total 100%20002120222025 Functional Transformational Strategic22%52%27%27%45%27%20%5

33、0%31%27%48%25%22%45%34%18%42%40%22%39%39%25%43%32%14%33%53%T H E S T R AT EG I C C I O02Commercial featureUnited front:how Ukraines IT sector is still open for businessDevelopers are working from barracks and bomb shelters in a determined effort to continue supporting clients,the national economy an

34、d the war effortespite having joined the army to defend his native city of Odessa from Russia,Eugene Lata,head of marketing at Lemon.io,still participates in company meetings on Slack between patrols.Staff at the Ukrainian IT services firm have stayed at work since the invasion on 24February.Some of

35、 Latas colleagues have managed to continue coding from their bomb shelters.Such examples underline the assertion of the IT Ukraine Associations executive director,Konstantin Vasyuk,that the nations tech industry is“the most resilient business sector,with a huge potential for further growth after the

36、 war”.The trade body represents more than 100 tech firms and about 75,000 IT specialists in Ukraine.Vasyuk is keen to stress that,despite the grim situation,the sector remains open for international business.Speaking over the wail of an air-raid siren,he says:“During the first two days of the war,wh

37、ile most citizens were in a state of shock,one of our members was facing a cli-ent deadline of 26 February and still got the work done.Its that type of reliability and determination that drives us.”That is not an isolated case:the latest sur-vey of IT Ukraine Association members has revealed that 85

38、%are still meeting all their commitments to clients.Vasyuk describes the finding as“a good indicator of the industrys capability and collective respon-sibility to customers”.For many firms,the greatest disruption came at the start of the war,as they acted swiftly to relocate staff to safer parts of

39、the country.For instance,software develop-ment outsourcer N-iX evacuated 600 of its employees,most of whom were in Kyiv,in the space of two days.The companys chief strategy officer,Nazariy Zhovtanetskyy,says:“A week after we resumed delivery,we were back to 85%capacity.Weve been at 95%for the past t

40、hree weeks.”Many businesses gave their employees an advance when the war broke out and are continuing to pay staff who have since joined the army.Lemon.io has started pay-ing salaries fortnightly to help employees with their cash flow.The country has a proud history of nur-turing IT talent.More than

41、 285,000 Ukrain-ians work as tech specialists.The export of their services added more than 5.2bn to the countrys economy in 2021.As well as supporting many companies in Europe,the Ukrainian tech industry is the IT outsourcing destination of choice for more than 100 of the Fortune 500.Ukraine is also

42、 home to R&D centres for Samsung,Oracle and Google.At the outbreak of war,there were fears that several such clients would sever their ties with Ukrainian IT companies for fear that they would no longer be able to fulfil their obligations.But the mass exodus did not come to pass.According to the IT

43、Ukraine Association,only 5%of contracts have been cancelled since the invasion.Although Zhovtanetskyy admits that the pipeline of potential new clients at N-iX is weaker than it was before the war,the firm hasnt lost any existing ones and has recent-ly secured three new contracts.Both his Sam Forsdi

44、ckDcompany and Lemon.io are still planning international expansions this year.Daxx,a Netherlands-based firm that helps tech companies hire developers in Ukraine,notes that Ukrainian IT services remain relatively cost-effective.It reports that the average minimum pay rate for developers in Ukraine is

45、 20 an hour,com-pared to the considerably higher 30 in neighbouring Poland,for instance.“The big price difference between Ukraine and Poland is driven mainly by dif-ferent taxation levels,”Zhovtanetskyy explains.“So those customers that looked at Poland initially as a contingency option have since r

46、eturned to Ukrainian business-es,because theyve seen how were continu-ing to deliver.”International trade sanctions against the Putin regime have also meant that many western firms have cancelled their con-tracts with Russian developers.This has created a deficit of IT specialists on the global mark

47、et,according to Vasyuk,who reports that a growing number of US com-panies are seeking recommendations for alternative providers in Ukraine.“This is giving Ukrainian companies a chance to gain contracts from companies that have ended relations with Russian IT providers,which is good for us,”he says.T

48、his doesnt mean that using Ukrainian IT providers isnt riskier than it was,of course.Even though many of their workers have been able to relocate to safer territory,either at home or abroad,the biggest threat to continuity of service concerns connectivity.Ukraines telecoms infrastructure has been re

49、latively undamaged so far,but a recent deal agreed by its minister of digital transformation,Mykhailo Fedorov,and SpaceX boss Elon Musk enables the latters Starlink satellites to be used as a reserve channel should Ukraines fibreoptic net-works be disabled.“We are quite optimistic about the basic co

50、nditions for tech businesses to continue being able to operate in Ukraine,”Vasyuk says.“Customers understand the situation and companies have tried to reduce risk as much as possible.”Oleksandr Stukalo,a content writer for Lemon.io,reports that nearly all of the firms customers have been forbearing.

51、“Our clients have tended to be heartfully empathetic.They have been understanding of any pauses in delivery and have offered support wherever they can,”he says.International businesses have offered practical assistance in a range of ways,from financing the relocation of developers to providing offic

52、e space in safer territories.But the most obvious thing they can do,according to Zhovtanetskyy,is“continue paying your invoices and so help keep Ukrainian businesses growing”.The importance of the sector to the econ-omy isnt lost on its workers,many of whom see themselves as fighting Russia on an ec

53、o-nomic front.Several businesses have donat-ed profits to the war effort,including Lemon.io.Members of the IT Ukraine Asso-ciation gave nearly 14m to the armed forc-es and humanitarian causes in the first 10 days of the war,for instance.“Were carrying on because we under-stand that were in the vangu

54、ard of this con-flict on the tech front,so we keep working and we keep offering our talents,”Stukalo says.“If the business is able to continue,its making money that can go to the army.Without the army,there would be no IT business here.”Our clients have tended to be heartfully empathetic.They have b

55、een understanding of any pauses in deliveryo say its been a challenging couple of years for retail and logistics CIOs would be an understatement.Online sales in the UK jumped up by 15%between March 2020 and February 2021 as people turned to ecommerce during coronavirus lock-downs and both retailers

56、and logistics firms leant heavily on their technology leaders to meet consumers demands for goods.Coming out of the pandemic,there is now a skills shortage to grapple with.And as firms embrace emerging technologies and compete to hire talent,salaries for some roles have rocketed.These were all topic

57、s covered at length in a recent roundtable discussion sponsored by specialist IT recruiter and project ser-vices provider Computer Futures.As a result of this fast-moving change,the CIO role has been seri-ously elevated.“We were leaned upon in a way that we could have only ever dreamed of We have,at

58、 last,been trusted and believed as a transforma-tion agent rather than an IT director,which is a positive thing,”says Rich Corbridge,CIO of Boots UK and Ireland.The unrelenting focus on technol-ogy has fostered new ways of working and made CIOs and their teams more proactive within a business.Delive

59、ry company Yodel now uses agile ways of working,with CIO Helen Marshall creat-ing the relevant multidisciplinary teams known as squads and relentlessly prioritising to deliver business value at pace.“Were able to move much faster,”Marshall says.For the roundtable participants,there has also been a s

60、hift towards a product-orientated operating model,a way of working that focuses on a particular business capability rather than an IT system,with teams work-ing together to deliver a solution to an internal or external client.At Yodel,this means its apps can integrate,so,for example,a driver can use

61、 a tailored app to communicate with a customer for directions to their address,via that customers app.Integration has also become more important at Boots.The pandemic helped to blur the line between brick-and-mortar stores and the retailers ecommerce site,which had previously been seen as a competit

62、or to its phys-ical shops.“Its fascinating the way that people in our stores see technol-ogy.It has become just another part of what they do,rather than it becom-ing this competitor,this thing thats going to take their jobs in the future,”Corbridge states.Keeping up with constantly evolving consumer

63、 trends and your tech needs means carefully managing your talent supply,says Faith Doherty,senior busi-ness manager at Computer Futures.“A big challenge in delivering the kind of projects and programmes of work.is being able to prepare yourselves and your teams to have the right people to deliver th

64、em at the right time,”she says.Remote working has widened the talent pool for logistics company Wincanton,which has its head office in Wiltshire.As for many firms,the pan-demic proved that large projects can be done by a distributed workforce Wincanton delivered significant large scale systems,inclu

65、ding a transport management system and a cloud enter-prise resource planning(ERP)platform,remotely during the pandemic,says its CIO Richard Gifford.Hiring from more diverse talent pools is also something the firm is focusing on.“We actually set ourselves KPIs from the board,the exec team and then do

66、wn through the organisation when were looking at forming teams,at recruitment,all the way through,its a very positive thing that were doing.So,its not just happening,were designing it,and were actively on it,”he states.Hybrid and remote working helps different types of people to thrive,a trend Doher

67、ty has seen within Computer Futures as well as with cli-ents.The stereotypical view of a white male sitting at a boardroom table is now on its way out,she says.“Its actu-ally people sitting in their homes,jug-gling work and life,from different types of backgrounds,from different parts of the country

68、.”But,while talent has become more accessible in some ways,other hiring challenges remain,with the supply of tech workers not meeting the demand.“One of the things weve tried to do differently is to be more generic in the roles we bring in and then allow them to develop into specific roles,”says Cor

69、bridge,adding that solution archi-tects are particularly hard to find.Another way to attract talent is to showcase whats on offer,says Marshall.“At Yodel,we focus our investment on technology that delivers value to our clients,consumers,and colleagues.Our IT colleagues have fostered a great team,wor

70、king to deliver technology that provides cutting edge solutions.Its an exciting prospect for new talent to be able to work so dynamically.”Retaining staff is a key concern,especially with the so-called great resignation underway in most sectors.In IT,just 29%of workers have a“high intent”to stay in

71、their roles,accord-ing to a Gartner survey,and keeping people is a focus for all of the roundta-ble participants.“Were very conscious now of bringing people in and immedi-ately making sure that for those people,there is a career path thats defined,”says Wincantons Gifford.Indeed,retention at all lev

72、els is proving tricky.“Developing colleagues has always been an important focus for us here at Yodel and its now more important than ever to ensure these opportunities are provided,allowing colleagues to upskill and get promoted in order to grow them in the business,”explains Marshall at Yodel.A com

73、mon theme across recruit-ment in the STEM industries is how to keep hold of people,Doherty confirms,and forward-looking businesses are looking proactively at how to manage demand,she adds.“Theyre looking at those programmes that are being bid for,or are being mapped out at an exec level,and people a

74、re saying where are my gaps over the next 12 to 24 months?And how can we partner with people that can help me get that work done?”Whats next for CIOs?The pace of change is only going to increase,says Yodels Marshall.“Weve seen dramatic changes in how we use technology in the last few years and this

75、trend looks set to accelerate even further into the future.The next step for us is to build on our utilisation of predictive analyt-ics to support the continued devel-opment of the business,whilst at the same time evolving our employee prop-osition to attract and retain the best talent.”she says.At

76、Wincanton,the CIO role is“less about the tech,”says Gifford.“Its much more about the business value that thats going to bring and ensuring we unlock business process and inno-vative areas of value thats all about building a great team.”For more information,visit How retail and logistics CIOs are tac

77、kling tech transformationChief information officers in retail and logistics discuss the ways their roles have evolved and how theyre building the teams of the future,in a recent roundtableT We have,at last,been trusted and believed as a transformation agent rather than an IT director,which is a posi

78、tive thingPanel Rich Corbridge,CIO,Boots UK and IrelandFaith Doherty,senior business manager,Computer FuturesRichard Gifford,CIO,WincantonHelen Marshall,CIO,YodelGartner,2021of IT workers have a“high intent”to stay in their roles29%Lucy HandleyB U S I N E S S C O N T I N U I T YUKRAINE WAS AMONG EUR

79、OPES MOST FINANCIALLY ATTRACTIVE COUNTRIES FOR OFFSHORINGCountries financial attractiveness score for business services offshoring in 2021 Future Publishing/Contributor via Getty ImagesSri LankaPakistanBangladeshIndiaPhilippinesIndonesiaGeorgiaVietnamEgyptKazakhstanUkraineGhanaBulgariaMoroccoMalaysi

80、a2.992.92.842.832.822.782.772.772.752.72.652.642.522.52.49Kearney,2021The Military Training Centre in Zaporizhzhia Region,Ukraine,was up and running within 24 hoursR A C O N T E U R.N E T03More IT departments are expecting budget rises this year than ever before.Cybersecurity is the top concern for

81、many IT departments,but staffing shortages,cloud migration and business transformation are also high on the priority list.So how will CIOs spend the extra budget in 2022?SPEND THE IT BUDGET?WHERE DO CIOs1-99 employees100-499 employees500+employees31%33%27%26%25%21%28%26%13%29%26%14%HardwareSoftwareH

82、osted/cloud-based servicesManaged servicesTOP THREE PLANNED INVESTMENTS AMONG IT TEAMS IN 2022Share of IT teams expecting spending increases in the following areasIT FOCUSBusiness initiatives expected to drive IT investment in 2022THREE IN FIVE IT DEPARTMENTS EXPECT A SPENDING BOOST IN 2022Share of

83、organisations expecting IT budget increases in the next 12 monthsIT SPENDING PRIORITIESAllocation of IT budgets in European and North American organisations in 2022,by segmentIncreasing operational efficiencyImproving customer experienceTransforming existing business processesImproving employee prod

84、uctivityImproving profitabilityNew product developmentEnhancing hybrid work technologiesIncreasing top line revenue for the businessMeeting compliance requirementsIntroducing new digital revenue streamsOptimising employee experienceImproving talent acquisition/retentionMonetising company dataCreatin

85、g more diverse and inclusive company cultureIncreasing cybersecurity protections81%5%29%28%21%17%THE STAFFING BUDGET IS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE Primary budgetary needs in IT departments worldwideHiring more tech staffInvesting in more innovationUpgrades to collaboration toolsUpgrades to endpoint devices

86、Upgrades to websites/e-commerceCompTIA,2021Spiceworks,20220009%46%42%41%27%24%22%21%20%19%18%$223.3bnGartner,2022projected growth in IT spending in the UK in 202221%SWZD,2022of enterprise IT budgets will go to managed services in 202266%Cyber an

87、d information security51%48%Business intelligence/data analyticsCloud platformsHarvey Nash Group,2021Gartner,2022CIO,202217%15%14%9%T H E S T R AT EG I C C I O04Migration with narrationThe sheer complexity of digital transformations can be alienating.The onus is on CIOs to make them comprehensible t

88、o all stakeholders by providing a clear,compelling storyy their very nature,digital transfor-mations tend to be large and com-plex undertakings that arent wide-ly understood outside the IT function.This has obliged many CIOs to articulate a con-vincing vision of the future to win the sup-port of the

89、ir boards and rally the whole organisation around ideas that may be hard for the lay person to grasp.Its no mean feat.Excellent communication skills are vital non-technical employees must first under-stand a largely tech-led strategy if they are going to buy into it.But the important task of explain

90、ing the plan in the most relatable and compelling terms is often overlooked.“This can be a dry and complex subject,of which relatively few people have a deep knowledge,”says Haig Tyler,CIO at global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.“But,with technology affecting all aspects of our lives,this knowled

91、ge gap needs to be addressed hence the need for storytelling.”He continues:“Good CIOs have recog-nised the importance of their role as chief translation officers for a while.Change is a participation sport.If people are to partici-pate,they first need to buy into their part in the story.Plain langua

92、ge and an empathy for the listener are essential for communicating the rationale for,and means of,change.”A compelling narrative neednt come in the form of a tub-thumping TED Talk with a fancy slide deck.But a CIO must explain clearly why the change is required includ-ing the key commercial advantag

93、es of doing so and how its most tangible aspects will affect employees work.“The power of storytelling is that it creates an emotional connection to otherwise dry facts and figures.CIOs have to master this art,as they are key in leading their organisa-tions through such changes.They must align peopl

94、e towards a common goal and bring them along to achieve it,”says Ravi Mayuram,CTO at software developer Couchbase.“We accomplish all this by inspiring them.The most direct way to achieve that is to tell sto-ries of why the business needs to take on the project and what it means to employees,their or

95、ganisation and its customers.”Trailblazing CIOs are doing this by pro-viding fireside chats on video for all staff to view,relaying relevant case studies and encouraging champions of change from out-side the IT team to tell their stories on the corporate intranet.In these businesses theres a realisa

96、tion that technology is no longer something those people in the IT department over there do in a silo.It affects everyone in the organisation.“A modern CIO is in the business of chang-ing the culture of their organisation,”Mayuram argues.“For that to happen,their stories need to be carried by word o

97、f mouth and repeated in hallways,around watercool-ers or in any other places where the CIO is not present.Only when this happens will a story become organisational knowledge and stay in the collective corporate memory.”But he adds a note of caution:“While sto-rytelling is important and powerful,it h

98、as to be authentic.An audience can quickly smell whether a storyteller is being genuine or not.A strong narrative is based on the integrity of both the story and the teller.Results will fol-low only if everything is authentic.”It helps CIOs that the fundamental impor-tance of digital transformation

99、projects is becoming more widely understood beyond the IT function.This is crucial,according to Tyler,who says:“Lets just call out digital transformation for what it is:this is about business transformation.”Given the impact of digital technology on real customer experiences and actual corpo-rate pr

100、ofits,the jargon-filled language of the IT professional needs a makeover,he argues.“Do you say that you have a data strategy focusing on improving information govern-ance and control,ensuring that the business is an effective steward of the material it holds,where the taxonomy is sound and each acti

101、vity delivers usable data?Or do you simply describe a vision of the future in which sound data informs better decisions?The latter is not only easier to say;its also easier to hear and understand,”Tyler says.Non-IT staff who are evangelists for the cause,particularly if theyre part of the lead-ershi

102、p team,can prove key allies to the CIO in communicating the case for the transfor-mation.With this in mind,wise IT chiefs are encouraging potential internal champions to help spread the word in laymans terms.Corporate narratives have acquired a more personal touch in many companies that have had to

103、adopt remote working over the past two years,as C-suite members con-verse with their staff on video from their liv-ing rooms to a background soundtrack of children playing and dogs barking.As Michael Smets,professor of manage-ment at the University of Oxfords Sad Busi-ness School,has discovered,“man

104、y business leaders have reported forming a more human connection with their teams”since the UKs first Covid lockdown in 2020.The need for new compelling corporate narratives wont diminish any time soon.As the technology delivers more benefits,our expectations of it only tend to increase.This indicat

105、es that storytelling will have to evolve over time into a continual conversation.When Tyler says“change is a participation sport”,he means the process must engage the hearts and minds of as many stakehold-ers as possible.And ongoing dialogue will be key to ensuring that this happens.BNick Easen An a

106、udience can quickly smell whether a storyteller is being genuine or not.A strong narrative is based on the integrity of both the story and the tellerS T O RY T E L L I N GHOW DO CIOS CREATE EMPLOYEE BUY-IN?CIOs perception of important organisational attributes for engaging employeesIBM,2021 piranka

107、via Getty Images34%of business leaders said the CIO had the biggest role to play in the technology strategy for enabling a productive workforce38%of CIOs are prioritising aligning IT initiatives with business goalsFoundry,2022Harvey Nash Group,202250%40%40%40%37%37%35%35%34%31%24%Ethics,diversity an

108、d inclusionSense of purposeComprehensive mentoringContinuous learning and career developmentCollaborative environmentOrganisational stabilityInnovationWork-life balance and flexibilitySustainable practicesPersonal autonomyCompetitive compensation and benefitsR A C O N T E U R.N E T05Commercial featu

109、reCould an interim CIO be the right choice?hen Thomas MacKenzie hired the first CTO at his cybersecurity busi-ness,RankedRight,he knew that hed be looking for a replacement in a mat-ter of months.MacKenzie is one of a growing number of business leaders who choose to recruit interim CTOs,CISOs and CI

110、Os.Rather than bringing a full-time,permanent technology leader on board,temporary executives are hired for periods of six months to two years.Demand for short-term technology exec-utives has boomed in recent years.Between 2020 and 2021,demand for interim CIOs,CTOs and CISOs grew by 83%,according to

111、 Business Talent Group,a subsidiary of exec-utive search firm Heidrick&Struggles.The key benefit of hiring CIOs for the short term is that businesses can bring on board an experienced professional with a specific set of skills.For a start-up company such as RankedRight,an interim CTO means hiring so

112、meone with experience in building an SaaS infrastructure from scratch and who can support rapid growth.In younger businesses or a company newly spun out from a parent company as part of a merger or acquisition,an interim CIO can help to lay the right foundations.“Startups and companies acquired by p

113、ri-vate equity are unlikely to have any IT lead-ership,”says Jaco Vermeulen,portfolio CTO at consulting firm BML Digital.In those cases,he says,an interim CIO will recom-mend and establish IT requirements,which requires different skills from BAU work.“Of course,a permanent CIO can do that.But their

114、focus will typically be on long-term strategy and experienced,permanent CIOs want to step into stability,”he adds.After a year of working with an interim CTO,RankedRight brought in a new CTO with experience in growing market share.The company has chosen to recruit another interim executive,explains

115、MacKenzie.First,because the business is changing so rapidly,the skills demanded of its CTO will likely be different in a year.Second,work-ing with interim CIOs reduces risk,says MacKenzie.“It means youre not going to be in a situation where six months down the line,its not working out and you realis

116、e you should have hired the other guy,”he says.Most importantly,RankedRight is head-ing into a round of seed funding and the decades of experience that the new interim CTO has brought is critical.“When we talk to investors,the idea of not having a techni-cal co-founder is frowned upon massively.But

117、we can say to investors,heres how we got from A to B and now we have this CTO who can bring us to C.Our current CTO has years of experience and helps us navigate this stage of our business and avoid mis-takes hes seen before.”RankedRight is typical of the younger companies hiring interim CIOs and CT

118、Os today,says Vermeulen.“Companies can always appoint a permanent CTO or CIO if needed,”he adds.Yet,it isnt just startups that are recruit-ing interim CIOs.Vermeulen recently com-pleted an interim CIO assignment with a UK holiday park operator with 30 sites across the UK.As the companys CIO,he helpe

119、d drive a modernisation programme that included building a work from any-where(WFA)programme for employees and migrating multiple on-premise sys-tems to a cloud-based application suite.In established organisations,an interim CIO can offer a fresh perspective that com-bines experience and independenc

120、e,says Vermeulen.“I have a degree of freedom as an interim CIO,and I can say things that permanent staff members might not feel comfortable saying,”he says.“Companies often approach transformation projects with a fixed idea of what they need for example,that they need AI.As interim CIO Im in a great

121、 posi-tion to challenge preconceived ideas and say,okay,what do we want to deliver and is this the right technology to do that?”For larger organisations,interim CIOs can play a valuable role in driving forward digital transformation projects,often bringing years of experience with them.“During the p

122、andemic,we saw lots of organisations that perhaps didnt think IT was critical to their business realise that actually,it was completely critical,and theyd been left behind,”says Vermeulen.“We are now at a point where boards are happy to invest in IT and appointing an interim CIO could be the key to

123、making the most of this opportunity.”Its important to note that an interim CIO isnt right for every business or every situa-tion,says David Brandon,CTO at Rota-Cloud,and the current interim CTO at RankedRight.Getting the right cultural fit and agreeing expectations is critical because an interim CTO

124、 doesnt have the luxury of spending a few months finding their feet,he says.“Both sides need to do their due diligence to make sure its a good fit.You have to be able to get under the skin of an organisation quickly and hit the ground running,”he says.With RankedRight,Brandon spent lots of time with

125、 the companys senior management before agreeing to join the team.This builds trust so that MacKen-zie is comfortable giving his interim CTO the freedom and autonomy to make deci-An interim tech leader could be the right solution for quickly evolving startups or companies with project-based IT strate

126、giessions for the company.“Although we have an interim CTO,I talk to him just as Id talk to anyone we employ.We have had to build a culture where he feels completely part of the team,”MacKenzie says.Being fully involved as an interim has advantages for Brandon.“Its always a chal-lenge fitting into a

127、 new culture,and it can be tough.But I wasnt an expert in the secu-rity industry before I took on this role.Ive learned a lot about remediation and vulner-ability management that I can take back to my other role,”he says.THE CIO IS THE SECOND-MOST IN-DEMAND C-SUITE ROLEEnquiries for interim C-suite

128、leaders,by positionBusiness Talent Group,2022WSally WhittleI N T E R I M L E A D E R S H I P An interim CIO will recommend and establish IT requirements,which requires its own set ofskills 42%14%8%8%6%5%4%13%CFOCTO,CIO or CISOCOO or CAOCHROCEOCMOChief transformation officerOther fizkes via Getty Ima

129、gesata is often described as the new oil,but its way more pre-cious than that.And,unlike fossil fuel,the more you use it,the more you get back.Data is the future power source of the global economy,but its evolution is fraught with challenges.Now is the perfect time,then,to hear from a select group o

130、f data chiefs for their views on the data opportunity how it can supercharge industry,what its limitations are,and what we must over-come to reach its full potential.Get closer to the numbersFor optimal results,organisations must first understand what they have,says Mike Connaughton,head of analytic

131、s and data innovation,EMEA,Oracle.“A lot of organ-isations are still struggling to understand how their data underpins value creation.Research suggests that the top quartile of businesses best placed to acquire and use digital capital are growing expo-nentially compared with the other three quartile

132、s.So,we know that people who do this well are benefitting,but many are still struggling to understand how their data underpins their organisation.Its an issue we all have to deal with.”Whats clear is that organisations are investing heavily to get to grips with the information at their fingertips,ev

133、en those with mature data approaches honed over three,four,even five dec-ades.“A challenge most organisations have today is that systems and processes are not designed to quickly and easily derive insights,”says Ashish Surti,EVP technology and security at Colt.“Our technology serves us extremely wel

134、l for our processes and customers,but there are many data entry points.Not everyone fully understands that if you enter a piece of data it could get manipu-lated 15 times before it drives a decision,and then that call could be completely wrong.Organisations must understand the true architecture of t

135、heir footprint and run the basics of what is the source,why it was captured and what is its value.”Natalie Fishburn,vice president,global head of clinical data and insights at AstraZeneca,agrees:“In the pharma-ceutical industry,historically we have thought about data in terms of each indi-vidual pro

136、duct,less about the breadth of our data and its potential.“We have a project happening now to standardise our data,which will improve its utility in clinical trials.For example,in future,we may be able to simulate trial populations of patients on placebo(sugar pill/inactive treatment),so we dont nee

137、d as many people in our trials.This is better for trial participants and gets to the conclusions faster.”Building strong foundationsFor Emma Duckworth,director of data science,GSK Consumer Healthcare,its crucial to get the basics right:“A data good strategy has to be aligned with your business strat

138、egy.So figure out your objectives and work backwards from there.That means clear governance and defined data stewards,AI and ML stand-ards,as well as a data literacy programme that starts with leadership.”This is even more important in a world where the technical opportunity out-strips the number of

139、 skilled individuals available to run projects.Tris Morgan,director of security advisory services at BT,thinks the answer lies in simplicity.“Were looking at how we can simplify processes and automate them using data insight as the trigger point for it all so that we can deploy the most precious bod

140、ies we have on the park to the highest value activities,while automating easier things that require less expertise.”The skills gap and a proliferation of data silos are two of the biggest drags of progress in this area;others include relevancy,technical debt and the need for governance at the nation

141、al and inter-national level to move with the times,replacing complicated permission forms with tangible proofs that can build trust.Ashish Surti says:“I dont think the way were doing acceptance or consent is really working.The intention was right when we set out,but now its a legal doc-ument people

142、just do not understand.”In future,it will be crucial to democ-ratise data and provide users with clear information allowing them to make their own decisions on how their information is used,according to Doug Brown,chief data scientist at Capita.“Its an interest-ing frontier but also a difficult prob

143、lem to solve because of the restrictions on capture and use of data.For regulated industries,its fundamental to under-stand how you have arrived at a particu-lar decision and therefore the ethical boundaries,testing and transparency of the results.“We have to prove we dont want to disenfranchise,or

144、in any way reduce,peoples access as a result of moving to advanced analytics,AI and ML.Individuals want more control and by working collectively we can move the dial on social engagement and purpose.”Future opportunitiesIf regulators and industry can get the balance right then the possibilities are

145、endless.Natalie Fishburn at AstraZeneca says data applications will get medicines to market faster and reduce the burden on hospitals,ultimately giving people more time with loved ones.Emma Duckworth at GSK Consumer Healthcare similarly sees a move towards self-care,with more in-home treat-ments,low

146、er reliance on prescriptions and fewer visits to the GP.Tris at BT sees data as a weapon against the complex and evolving threat landscape while Ashish Surti at Colt thinks it will improve sus-tainability and benefit older generations.But all agree that the way we acquire,manage and use data will be

147、 fundamental to its application in future,and that there are many questions to answer before we truly witness its optimal use.“Its a gift that will keep on giving,”says Capitas Doug Brown.“With trust and choice about how data is used,we can let people live better lives.As we move into a more virtual

148、 world,organisations that can traverse virtual and physical experi-ences will win.But if we dont manage it properly or use it for the right purposes,that will have an impact on brand value and individual relationships alike.”To discover how Oracle can help your organisation gain valuable data insigh

149、ts,visit can we unlock the true potential of data?A diverse roundtable of leading data executives share their views on the power and potential of data,as well as the many pitfalls to avoidD Its a gift that will keep on giving.With trust and choice about how data is used,we can let people live better

150、 livesPanel Doug Brown Chief data scientist,CapitaMike Connaughton Head of analytics and data innovation,EMEA,OracleEmma Duckworth Director of data science,GSK Consumer Healthcare Natalie Fishburn Vice president,global head of clinical data and insights,AstraZenecaTris Morgan Director of security ad

151、visory services,BT Ashish Surti EVP technology and security,Colt Dan MatthewsT H E S T R AT EG I C C I O06Raconteurs new campaign product suite gives marketers the best of both worlds.Email to plan your campaign now.Want the power of print media combined with best in class lead generation?Fresh appr

152、oaches to solving the tech skills crisisIts time to explore new avenues to fill the record number of vacancies in the tech sectorBut the sectors focus on graduates also means the industry is missing out on a hugeamount of untapped talent,according to James Barrett,regional director at recruitment co

153、nsultancy Michael Page Technology.There may have been a big shift in the number of apprenticeships and boot camps,he says,but theyre still just scratching the surface.To tackle the issue,about 51%of digi-tal leaders plan to cross-train people from other parts of their organisation.More than a third

154、have also widened their geographical recruitment net thanks to hybrid working,the report reveals.But it still isnt enough.Mark Watson,chief executive of Fat Beehive,a web design agency for charities,believes that historical race and gender biases have dissuaded many people from pursuing a career in

155、tech.This has resulted in the sector being dominated by middle-class,straight,white males.As a result,the secret to solving the skills crisis over the long term,in his view,lies inproactively seeking out non-traditional talent pools,not least to boost diversity.Here are four examples of employers th

156、at are doing just that.Diversity of employee background,life experience and thought is vital in a sector such as tech,which prides itself on innova-tion,believes Watson.Coming from a non-traditional back-ground and an advocate of prison reform,he decided to work with Code4000 and sits on its advisor

157、y board.The charity teaches software development and basic skills to prisoners,with the aim to cut re-offending rates.Fat Beehive,which employs 33 staff,has now taken on two of Code4000s graduates and intends to hire another one each year.Watson explains the rationale:“Compa-nies should use their po

158、wer,where they can,to do good.Giving people a second chance is powerful in and of itself but its also good for business,individuals andsociety.”Tangible benefits include high levels of loyalty as people understand and appreci-ate the chance theyve been given.Others comprise the different life experi

159、ences that they bring to the table,which is great for problem-solving,he notes.But there are challenges.Many ex-offend-ers have grown up in chaotic,disorganised environments,which means they may need a bit more structure and support than otheremployees,Watson says.As a result,each joiner at Fat Beeh

160、ive is assigned a staff member to be their mentor and their first port of call in case of problems.Watson explains:“You cant just bring people in and expect them to instantly fit into analien environment.Some of them wont have worked in an office before,so you do need to adapt the training and sup-p

161、ort to makeit work.”he global skills crisis in the tech sector has reached a high and threatens to derail the industrys seemingly unceasing growth.But such unprecedented skills shortages are the result of a perfect storm,according to recruitment consultancy Harvey Nash Groups 2021 Digital Leadership

162、 Report.Tech leaders intend to increase their invest-ment in technology(60%)and related head-count(61%)this year to record levels.Yet,they are experiencing retention issues as employees re-assess their priorities(80%)or opt to take advantage of spiralling wage inflation(40%).The UK has also been aff

163、ected by Europe-an workers returning home,says Andy Heyes,Harvey Nashs regional managing director,UK South.TCath Everett“From an economic point of view,the UK isnt as attractive as it once was due to Brexit,the pandemic and a weaker pound,”he says.Skills shortages are currently most acute in cyberse

164、curity,where 43%of digital leaders are experiencing hiring problems,up almost a quarter over the past 12 months.Big data and analytics skills are next on the list(40%),followed by technical architects(34%).The tech industry has underlying chal-lenges in filling job vacancies.While gradu-ate entry is

165、 still the most common path into the profession,universities around the world are not producing enough graduates to meet demand.Simon Short,chief operat-ing officer of software and services provider Advanced,says:“There arent enough peo-ple in technology,which means were com-peting for the same cand

166、idates.”S K I L L SR A C O N T E U R.N E T07Commercial featureor many people,hardly a day has passed since the early days of the pandemic that have been free of video calls.Whether at work,at school or at home,screen-based inter-actions have defined the last two years.Not only has hybrid working for

167、ced companies to think harder about their cybersecurity,but job hopefuls have had to contend with a different working world than has ever been seen before.“While there will always be a need for mid-and senior-level talent,its important to also be mindful of how recruitment is handled for junior leve

168、l roles.Given that many new graduates have spent the last two years of their education behind a screen,some may not feel as prepared to enter the work-force,”says Daniele Grassi,chief oper-ating officer at global talent and reskill training provider Wiley Edge.The problem,however,is that while compa

169、nies may now have the required infrastructure,systems and software in place to support a changed working model,they dont necessarily have the right staff to run them.The great resig-nation of 2021 resulted in millions of people quitting their jobs because they were dissatisfied with them and wanted

170、to pursue other opportunities.One of the worst hit industries was tech-nology,with 3.6m job openings listed in the US alone in 2021,according to the Computing Technology Industry Association Group.Its predicted that there will be 178,000 new positions created in 2022.The fact is that theres a huge s

171、kills gap in the market and its widen-ing by the day.Thats evidenced in Salesforces 2022 Global Digital Skills Index Report,which found that 76%of respondents didnt feel ready for the future of workplaces and only 14%said they had advanced knowledge in encryption and cybersecurity skills.Exacerbatin

172、g the skills gap in digi-tal and technology roles is the lack of diverse candidates both seeking and being employed in those positions.In its Diversity in Tech research,Wiley Edge found that 71%of young tech workers have felt uncomfortable in a job because of their gender,ethnicity,socioeconomic bac

173、kground or neu-rodevelopmental condition.But the need for talent is seeing companies source candidates from a broader pool than ever before,making the need for equality in technology a greater need in terms of talent attrac-tion and retention.Grassi says:“The hardest roles to recruit for are mid and

174、 senior level talent as everyone is vying for their attention.Roles in cyber security,cloud computing,data analytics and soft-ware engineering and development are greatly in demand across all industries.”And because many companies are still relying on outdated hiring prac-tices,theyre missing out on

175、 people from other backgrounds who have val-uable skillsets to bring to the job.Doing so limits them to a narrow talent pool,thereby overlooking a wealth of diverse junior-and entry-level candidates.Wiley Edge helps businesses over-come this challenge.In partnering with them,Wiley Edge presents comp

176、anies with candidates who are ready to learn and join their workforce,backed up with a top-quality training and support system.“Leaders can spend less time training as junior talent are equipped with the knowledge to start contribut-ing to the team early on,”says Grassi of the benefits of this strat

177、egy.After analysing the companys needs and employing the graduates on their behalf,Wiley Edge supplements their education by training them on tech-nology they are currently using to equip them with the right knowledge and skills to hit the ground running.Only 8%of companies say they are not planning

178、 to recruit entry-level talent at all in the coming year.That means the market for skilled junior tech professionals is incredibly competitive.Tapping into diverse pools of talent particularly considering that hybrid working has allowed for greater geo-graphic diversity in the talent pool can help a

179、lleviate this competition.The Diversity in Tech study shows that the talent is out there.There was little dis-crepancy between ethnic groups as to their exposure to technology careers at school.And,as 37%said this was the main motivator toward digital careers,a more diverse workforce is achievable.H

180、owever,one of the common mis-conceptions still apparent among young people is that technology doesnt offer a future-proof career path.Three-quarters of survey respondents agreed with this assessment.That makes job-based skills development all the more important as learning at work can help combat th

181、is misconception.Its vital that businesses recruit junior employees while continuing to develop their own in-house talent to aspire to more senior roles.Companies need to harness their eagerness to learn and make a difference to enable them to fulfill key positions and pro-gress their careers,thus c

182、losing the skills gap.One of the root causes for the lack of diversity in technology is not having received the encouragement to pursue a career in technology from an early age,particularly among women,with only 35%saying they felt encouraged to do so by their school.A further 42%said they werent gi

183、ven any informa-tion or resources to learn about such opportunities.Its a similar story for Asian and Black people,with only 19%and 29%respectively saying they were far more likely to follow a technology career as a result of being encouraged by their school.“Those who dont have adults they look up

184、to in technology or big cor-porations may have a bit of imposter syndrome and question their lack of ability to perform,”says Grassi.“With Wiley Edge,we help remove some of the hesitancy and help them realize how strong their skill sets are and that they can make important contribu-tions within Fort

185、une 500 companies.Sometimes,all it takes is one person expressing that you can do it to help them make the leap.”Other barriers include peoples doubts over their own qualifications,skills and expertise,thinking they wont feel welcome,or discrimination in the recruitment process.That suggests many co

186、mpanies are struggling to estab-lish an inclusive working environment.The solution is for schools and busi-nesses to ensure everyone receives equal opportunities and encourage-ment to learn about technology as a career path and the qualifications needed,as well as promoting availa-ble roles and atte

187、nding job fairs.Role models can also play a key role in encouraging women and Black people,in particular,to choose a career in technology,while firms need to do more to address problems inherent within their own culture to improve retention rates and put their diversity and inclusion strategies into

188、 action to meet their goals.The Reskill programme offered by Wiley Edge trains existing employees and tackles any biases by opening up busi-nesses to a new demographic.Its alumni hire-train-deploy model saw 35%female and 50%black,Asian and minority eth-nicity employees placed in 2020.The benefits of

189、 having a diverse workforce are clear.Numerous stud-ies have shown that having a team of people from a wider range of back-grounds,ages,genders and ethnicities drives greater creativity,productivity and profit margins.And,tackling the skills gap now,will only be a benefit to companies in future.Gras

190、si says:“At the rate that technol-ogy is evolving,we only expect the skills gap to widen even further if education doesnt evolve to become more in line with the needs of the industry.Thats why we feel that the work were doing at Wiley Edge is so important to ensuring that both companies and junior l

191、evel talent are able to thrive.”With the rapid rate at which technol-ogy is evolving,the skills gap is set to widen even further.But by educating,enabling and empowering junior talent to thrive,this shortage problem can be addressed in the long-term.For more information about how Wiley Edge can help

192、 with your technology recruitment needs visit the technology skills gapThe need for more skilled employees in technology roles,particularly cybersecurity,has firms re-evaluating their recruitment strategies to attract and retain employeesF Those who dont have adults they look up to in technology or

193、big corporations may have a bit of imposter syndrome and question their lack of ability to performof young tech workers have felt uncomfortable in a job because of their gender,ethnicity,socioeconomic background or neurodevelopmental condition71%mthree,2022Having a clear vision for inclusion and tra

194、nsparent reportingInclusion training/communicationsCreating employee support networksHave an inclusion steering team with genuine powersMandatory quotas on shortlists of candidatesMandatory quotas on hiring decisionsIn the short term it is,he says,a more cost-ly and less efficient process than the t

195、radi-tional route to hire,although people dont earn the same salary as someone fully trained.In many ways,he says,its compa-rable to taking on an apprentice.Ultimately,its about weighing up the pros and cons and working to ensure success.“You cant just take on an ex-offender and expect it to be hunk

196、y-dory.It needs more commitment than that,”Watson says.Despite worldwide skills shortages,the tech industry has a habit of throwing people on the scrap heap,whether it is older work-ers,women who left to have children or peo-ple with chronic illness,Short says.As a result,he decided to take a differ

197、ent tack when evaluating how to supplement the software and service providers existing UK workforce of around 1,800.Short is chair of trustees of charity Astriid,which was set up by his friend David Shutts following a can-cer diagnosis.It aims to match skilled professionals with long-term health con

198、ditions,such as leu-kaemia,multiple sclerosis and long Covid,with employers willing to accommodate part-time,flexible working arrangements.Once interested parties have registered on the charitys website,an AI-based search service finds suitable matches and the char-ity makes the introductions.Advanc

199、ed has already taken on one employee to handle first-line tech support via this route but intends to take on four more over the next couple of months.The aim is to learn collectively from the experi-ence with a six-month review,Short says,before expanding the approach into other areas of the busines

200、s.Key considerations include training man-agers to support new joiners effectively and hold potentially sensitive conversations to understand not only their capabilities but also their limitations.“The thing with people with chronic illness is that there arent necessarily visual markers of diversity

201、,which adds another layer of complexity,especially if they feel anxious about how to manage their day-to-day objectives and goals,”Short says.“Its important to create a safe space to ensure people feel supported and can build their confidence and managers have an impor-tant role to play here.”At the

202、 more junior,18-to 21-year-old level,meanwhile,the organisation has aban-doned the standard entry devices of CVs and graduate entry.Instead,candi-dates capabilities and personalities are evaluated via an online cognitive aptitude test before they progress to an internal assessment centre.But taking

203、this kind of approach does require planning.“If you wake up one morning and a client says they want to start their project in two weeks,youll find it difficult if you want to recruit this way,”Asseraf says.“Instead,you need to build networks so you can hit the ground running.”While impact sourcing m

204、ay be more expensive than conventional recruitment approaches in terms of time,training and resources,Asseraf firmly believes the benefits outweigh the costs.And not just for the individual and local communi-ties concerned.“Its about creating a sustainable model for the company,as people stay longer

205、 and have access to a better future,which means we create a built-to-last model.“Our clients are becoming more supportive of it.Individuals,the company,our clients and stakeholders all benefit,”she says.“Were trying to attract young talent and raw capability into the workforce for the first time but

206、 also to supplement it with more experience,which includes people with chronic illness,”he says.“But while,like everyone else,we need skills and labour,the other side of the coin is social justice.We believe a key role of business is to support society and the wider community.”In a world in which de

207、mand for skills is outstripping supply using traditional routes,says Stephen Paterson,head of people and technology at AND Digital,it makes sense to give opportunities to people with the right attitude and a genuine passion for tech.To this end,the digital consultancy has teamed up with charity Code

208、YourFuture,which trains refugees and other disad-vantaged groups to become web develop-ers.After providing the charitys senior technology people with coaching and mentoring on a voluntary basis for a few years,the decision was taken to hire two of its graduates:a steady flow of people every year is

209、expected.AND Digital employs 1,500 staff but aims to more than triple this figure to 5,000 by 2025.While it antici-pates that much of this recruitment activity will take place via tradi-tional sources,it expects a fair number to come through innova-tive channels,he says.Although no concrete targets

210、exist at this point Paterson says that if they find the right people,theyll hire them.“As a source of talent,we keep our hiring bar high.Were not taking on just anybody.Its about giving a genuine chance to people who are commit-ted to a career in tech and want to make a success of it.”While the recr

211、uitment process is similar to conventional agency hiring,providing refugee workers with effective support,par-ticularly initially,is key to success,believes Paterson.After attending AND Digitals training boot camp,which is compulsory for all entrants,each participant is given their own 12-month coac

212、hing,mentoring and training plan.They are also assigned a buddy and allo-cated to a squad of 12 people,whose leader is their mentor.A full range of wellbeing and mental health services is available,as is professional development training.This includes language support,and help in are-as such as unde

213、rstanding what constitutes appropriate dress.Six of these squads then form a club of 80 people,each of which has its own office space,clients,and social and training cal-endar.The aim of this organisation-wide structure,Paterson says,is to ensure no one feels alone because everyone knows every-one e

214、lse and feels invested in as if theyre part of something small,but also some-thing much larger.The idea is to provide a fully rounded,holistic support that isnt limited to career development but includes people develop-ment.Thats important because if people feel supported,theyll fly,he explains.Adop

215、ting impact sourcing hiring candi-dates from non-traditional and underprivi-leged backgrounds as an approach to hiring tech talent is not just a CSR commit-ment,its a business model commitment,points out Sandrine Asseraf,group manag-ing director and ESG lead at Webhelp.The customer experience soluti

216、ons pro-vider,which has a workforce of 100,000,was granted the Impact Sourcing Provider Award this year for its inclusive employ-ment strategy.More than 4,400 people from non-traditional talent pools were tak-en on at locations across 25 countries in 2021 and standardised metrics were intro-duced.In

217、 2022,the aim is to roll out the model in each country hosting a new office.A further goal is to use the approach to hire 15%of all recruits in each of the suppliers existing 55 global locations by 2025.But to make the vision a reality,each country is required to commit to annual measurable targets

218、relating to recruitment,retention and tenure.They are also expect-ed to provide joiners with cultural bridge training,ongoing career development and personal support.To achieve its goals,Webhelp is partner-ing with governments and NGOs,such as MigraCode in Spain and Harambee in South Africa,to creat

219、e a holistic system where we all collaborate to identify the broadest talent pool,Asseraf says.Ensur-ing clients understand and are on board with the approach is also considered vital.Were not taking on just anybody.Its about giving a genuine chance to people who are committed to a career in tech Th

220、ere arent enough people in technology,which means were competing for the same candidatesTOWARDS A SUCCESSFUL D&I CULTUREHow CIOs have tried boosting D&I in tech teamsState of the CIO,2022*Due to rounding,some years do not total 100%Have not tried Tried with limited success Tried with success33%30%36

221、%36%31%33%42%28%30%59%21%20%75%17%8%79%15%6%38%of CIOs said that current socioeconomic factors have escalated the need to improve talent acquisition and retention strategies37%of business leaders report that the depth of tech talent in the UK in December 2021 was worse than in December 2020Atomico,2

222、021Foundry,2022Print media cant generate leads.WWr ro on ng g.Some of the advertisers in this report will generate over 200 leads thanks to Raconteurs integrated print and digital campaigns.Email to find out more.T H E S T R AT EG I C C I O08My role is becoming more and more about business transform

223、ationThe CIO of Boots UK,Richard Corbridge,explains why his team visited as many of the companys shops as it could reach in a single dayfter Covid restrictions had prevented his IT department from visiting thefirms stores across the UK and Ireland for the best part of two years,Richard Corbridge urg

224、ently needed away to reconnect the function with the custom-er-facing part of Boots.“What we hit upon was how we could reinvigorate that relationship as soon as possible,rather than letting it be a slow burn,”says Corbridge,who was promoted to CIO from director of innovation at Boots UK in August 20

225、20.“I had the idea of picking one day where we would try to visit as many stores as we could.We wanted to see if we could make a big impact quickly.”On 17 March this year,about 200 IT specialists duly travelled to well over 300 retail outlets,ranging from the flagship stores in Londons Covent Garden

226、 and Sheffields Meadowhall centre all the way down to its smallest cornershop pharma-cies.Their mission:to glean as much infor-mation as possible about the biggest tech concerns of those on the front line.To ensure that members of his team were fully engaged in this wide-ranging exercise,he encourag

227、ed them to organise their own itineraries and decide which sites they would visit.If they so wished,they could use their field trips as a basis for going on to meet friends and relations,for instance.“People could decide wherever they wanted to go and they didnt feel they had to come up with a reaso

228、n for their choice of destination,”Corbridge says.“We tried to empower the team to enjoy the day and get the most out of it for themselves,which is probably why it was so successful.”He continues:“Our 45,000 colleagues in the Boots portfolio are seeing customers day in,day out.They gain so much insi

229、ght into what consumers are seeking from tech-nology.On the front line,they know better than those of us who sit in a tech develop-ment lab or at head office about what our customers really want.”Corbridge feels its the role of a CIO to understand what the customers require-ments are and then determ

230、ine the best way to meet those needs.“If we want to offer them a personalised journey,the only way to do that is to bring technology and data together and then work out how to make that change happen,”he says.On the day of Emily SearesAthe visits,Corbridge also held an open video chat session in whi

231、ch anyone could update him on IT problems they were experienc-ing.More than 650 calls were logged.Armed with all the new information,his team swiftly completed a strategy that was presented to the executive team the follow-ing afternoon.“We put a price tag and a timeframe on it.The next day it was a

232、pproved as our first store-centric IT strategy,”Corbridge says.Its crucial for the IT function to use pro-jects such as this to learn whats happening on the front line,he stresses.It should ensure that the customer experience will be more“exciting,invigorating and conven-ient”in any Boots outlet,wha

233、tever its size.Corbridge explains:“Were in the middle of rolling out a huge new network capability across the whole of the estate.One of the key things we learnt from the day was that we need to do this more quickly because stores are really struggling with connectivi-ty.When customers are in stores

234、 and cant get a Wi-Fi connection,its hampering their experience,particularly as Boots has moved its loyalty card on to mobile phones.”Another key insight arising from the pro-ject was how hard it can be for a member of staff in a busy store to contact the IT help-desk quickly whenever something brea

235、ks.It also highlighted a wider issue concerning internal communications.“It was interesting,”he says.“One of the things we had created about nine months previously was the ability for stores to raise a help call by sending an email instead of ringing someone up.But staff in more than 80%of our store

236、s hadnt realised that they could do that.ITs ability to communicate with them is something we really need to think through,so that we get more messag-es out to them and they understand what were trying to do.”This aspect is crucial to the part that CIOs play in transforming businesses,notes Cor-brid

237、ge,who adds:“My role is becoming more and more about business transformation because business transformation is becom-ing more and more reliant on technology.”This makes it important for the CIO to be part of the senior leadership team some-thing that he has been at Boots ever since assuming the rol

238、e.“I dont see my expertise as being about technology when Im sitting on the executive board,”Corbridge says.“I see it as being about how to make successful changes hap-pen at pace.As a CIO,you lean on your team for the technological knowledge.Your own skill is about connecting people and provid-ing

239、the answers to the transformation ques-tions.”Building on Boots first store-centric IT strategy,hes already thinking about fur-ther projects to support tech innovation and inform the companys wider strategy.“Were lucky our leadership team values what tech can do,”Corbridge says.“Our managing directo

240、r Sebastian James has been clear that IT is intrinsic to the transfor-mation,so it needs a seat on the board and the capability to do all the work needed.”OnlineA central component of Boots new plan concerns“super-scaling”the website so that it can handle much higher numbers of users shopping at any

241、 given time,according to Corbridge.Personalisation is another important element.Once youve shopped online at Boots and return to the site,it will know what youve bought previously and“how to tailor your basket at checkout with offers,so that all the most valuable things you might think of from Boots

242、 are there”.HealthcareThe second strand concerns Boots ability to offer“personalised healthcare on the high street”.Corbridge says that hes intent on applying here what the company has learnt from personalising the retail journey.This includes using tailored online content to give customers access t

243、o relevant medical information such as updates from NHS trusts and Boots pharmacists.Physical retailThe third strand focuses on bringing the digital and physical customer experiences closer together.For instance,customers who use the Boots app when they are visiting a bricks-and-mortar store will be

244、 granted access to new items on their devices.The three key strands ofBoots tech innovation strategy123I N T E R V I E W I see my expertise as being about how to make successful changes happen at paceSome of the advertisers in this report will generate over 200 leads thanks to Raconteurs integrated

245、print and digital campaigns.Email to find out more.Its history1849Boots is founded85%of the UK population is within 10 minutes of a Boots store51,000 total employeesIts store footprint2,263number of Boots stores across the UK19new stores opened in 2020 and 20212,141in-store Boots pharmaciesIts digital capability54%increase in B sales in its 2021 full year1,600+stores with next-day click-and-collect availableBoots by the numbersThe new Boots No7 skincare service uses digital technology73minvested in its digital capability over the past three years