While traditionally the challenge of recruiting and retaining skilled IT professionals has been handled by an organization ’ s HR department , responsibility now lies squarely with the Chief Information Officer .

No longer purely focused on technology deployment and management , CIOs are now involved in everything from staff selection and onboarding to coaching and career guidance . This broader leadership role is a critical part of building motivated and productive teams that can help an organization flourish .

This evolution of the CIO ’ s role can be a little challenging for some of the people in the job . Many will have been selected for their deep technical understanding and experience rather than their ability to manage and develop staff .

For this reason , many find they have to learn these broader skills ‘ on the job ’ and look to other senior executives for guidance . Through this process , they can evolve their approach to management and become better at retaining talent within their teams .

Another critical factor that is vital when looking to increase staff retention is to offer flexibility of work practices . Most people are now familiar with working from home and many want to continue this even after COVID restrictions have been removed . Organizations that offer a mix of office and home working will be viewed favorably by both current and prospective staff members .

The CIO also has a role when it comes to staff training and development . Retention levels are likely to be higher when staff can see a clear career path and are given the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they will require to progress . Here , CIOs can contribute mapping individual development paths and developing their teams so that these goals become achievable .

Perhaps the most important thing a CIO can do to help retain talent is to become a first-class communicator . Rather than sitting in an office behind a closed door , they need to be constantly touching base with people and understanding both the challenges they are facing and the successes they are achieving .

A powerful technique to use here is the so-called ‘ stay ’ interview . Many organizations conduct exit interviews for staff , but far fewer have a system for obtaining their views why they chose to remain . This can help to ensure they are satisfied with their roles and are keen to remain .

This evolution of the CIO ’ s role can be a little challenging for some of the people in the job .

www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO APAC 33

Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 23 | Page 33

While traditionally the challenge of recruiting and retaining skilled IT professionals has been handled by an organization ’ s HR department , responsibility now lies squarely with the Chief Information Officer .