Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 23 | Page 34

EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
PIETER DEGUNST , MANAGING DIRECTOR , TECALA
CIOs are pivotal when it comes to keeping talented staff highly engaged .
Talented people are far more likely to join an organization that has the tools , platforms and processes they need to excel in their roles . If there is little evidence that strong investment is being made in these areas , staff are likely to look for alternative places of employment .

The role of a Chief Information Officer is one that is multifaceted . As well as being responsible for their organization ’ s applications and infrastructure , a CIO also needs to focus on how that technology stack supports and enhances business processes .

Their responsibilities don ’ t end there . A CIO musthave a clear understanding of how staff are utilizing technology as part of their roles as well as how technology investments go to support customer interactions and service channels .
Perhaps something a little more recently brought into focus , CIOs have a significant role to play when it comes to attracting and retaining talent . Having access to high-quality technology platforms is shown to drive up Employee Satisfaction ( ESAT ) and Employee Value Proposition ( EVP ) scores .
These attitudes are particularly prevalent among younger workers . They have grown up with technology and see it as an integral part of their daily lives . They expect much higher degrees of system sophistication and reliability than their colleagues may have in the past .
Unfortunately , within some organizations , these drivers of satisfaction among staff are often overlooked . Indeed , many business cases put forward for investment in technology overlook the impact it will have on employees .
CIOs can also help to make their workplaces more attractive for talented staff in other ways . One is to make use of technology to automate tedious and repetitive tasks , thus allowing staff to focus on higher value activities .
Staff will look favorably on an organization that has removed much of the manual process typically used in internal processes and has tools in place that assist in streamlining everything from booking annual leave to checking network security measures .
Leading-edge technology platforms also have a role to play when it comes to reducing the likelihood that talented staff will be poached by rival organizations . They need to be focused on what is being done to acquire , retain and engage talented people .
Rather than being a back-office manager focused on ‘ keeping the lights on ’, CIOs are pivotal when it comes to keeping talented staff highly engaged in supporting their business ’ purpose in the longer-term .
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