IT InfrastrucctureIT Spending Set to Explode - CIOs more confident

To support expanding demand for social marketing, BYOD, Big Data, and Cloud Applications CIO will have to staff up

CFO magazine reports that spending on information technology is on the rise again, as growth-minded companies rush to embrace new trends in IT. Corporate technology budgets will swell in the next two years, a number of surveys and forecasts indicate.

Four big factors are driving IT spending, are: social media; mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets; information, including big data; and cloud computing.

The proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace is having a significant effect on IT spending. With employees commonly using three or more devices, companies are expanding or reconfiguring their networks and server capacity, he says, as well as paying for higher telecommunications bills.

IT Job Market Growth

According to one research firm, North American enterprises will increase their IT spending by 3 percent in 2013 and another 3 percent in 2014. They think we've seen the end of cost cutting as an overall market trend. That still exists for companies that are struggling, but the overall tone in the market now seems to be that we have stability in economic-outcome expectations, that companies can get back to strategic planning and IT investments to drive that strategy.

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Job Descriptions needed by CIOs as recruiting for IT Pros picks up

Requirement for job descriptions to meet all mandated compliance requirements and support BYOD and ERP

IT Job DescriptionsHaving a current and complete job descriptions has always been a "Best Practice", because it helps recruiters and CIOs focus on the skills, background and knowledge necessary for an employee to perform the job.

A well-written job description is one of the best investments an organization can make because it can be used in so many ways, including job evaluation, performance appraisals, reorganization, training, development and career planning.

Written and standardized job descriptions are now a necessity because:

  • They provide guidance to both the employee and the employer on what is expected and can be use in performance evaluations
  • They provide protection from ADA lawsuits when the descriptions include a definition of the essential job functions
  • They meet compliance requirements with federal, state and local laws and are the best proof that treatment of an employee or individual was related to ability and performance, and not because of a protected class
  • Assistance in determining Exempt vs. Non-exempt status with a definition of the essential functions of the job in a job description, you can make a determination on whether a person should be exempt or not from minimum wage and overtime laws.

The Internet and IT Job Descriptions HandiGuide includes 261 full multi-page content for each. The descriptions are so complete that they can be use for compensation and job grade rankings as well as meeting ALL mandated federal, state, local, and industry requirements. is in its data capture stage.

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Hiring Best Practices Hiring is the most critical aspect of a CIO's role.

For a CIO it can be fatal if they hire a new employee that is a mismatch

Interview GuideBackground screening is a critical part of the hiring process for the majority of organizations today, but it is even more essential in the current economy for several reasons. eJobDescription.com has found that a shortage of key skills is the number one challenge facing CIOs and IT functions. This may seem counter-intuitive at first given the news of continued high levels of unemployment and a "jobless" economic recovery. However coupled with many discussions with CIOs and HR professionals in end-user organizations, confirms that finding the right talent - the talent with the right mix of skills, behaviors and values to fit with the organization - is still a challenge. In fact, more applicants in the pool makes filtering and screening even more critical to ensure that time isn't lost on applicants who aren't a good fit or who might not be qualified for the position.

Hiring managers understand that a often an individual's capabilities are not necessarily a good fit. Capability refers to the skills, tools and experience that a person needs to successfully perform a job. It is not new information that many applicants exaggerate their abilities on their resumes and job applications. Things to look for are:

  • Skills Definition - Good Job Descriptions - Do you know what skills are needed to succeed and whether the employee possesses those skills? If they do not possess the necessary skills, how will the CIO help them to acquire them, and how long will that process to take? It is in everyone's best interest for the CIO to set appropriate expectations for the employee from the beginning. This is especially true if the position requires unique technical capabilities.
  • Tools Definition - Good IT Infrastructure - Even if an individual has the skills and experience to do the job, do they have the tools to deliver peak performance? For example, a highly skilled and experienced web designer cannot build a website without adequate computer hardware and software. The tools do not have to be the most up-to-date, but a system that crashes can be incredibly frustrating and unproductive, even to the best performer.
  • Experience - Just because an employee has the skills to do a job does not mean that they has the experience to apply those skills in his specific position. This is especially true for recent graduates, outside hires from different industries and internal hires from different departments. While the required skills may be similar from one job to the next, differing applications and terminology may require that the new hire take time to learn the nuances of his new position.

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