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CIOs face extraordinary pressure and it’s impacting job satisfaction

The role of the chief information officer (CIO) has been rapidly evolving of late but it might be time to take a step back and assess that evolution.

We say this following the publication of a survey results from IT solutions provider, Logicalis. The survey drew from 888 CIOs around the world and outlines how the position is changing.

Of concern however is the state of the position those that carry the title.

The survey found that while CIOs have become more accountable and more strategic, the pressure has increased while budgets are reduced. As many as 48 percent of CIOs say that they are spending a quarter of their time on information and security compliance.

While this is undoubtedly a part of the job, a quarter of a CIOs time being spent on this alone is concerning.

Almost half of CIOs – 49 percent – believe their job satisfaction has decreased in the last 12 months, whilst 29 percent say their work/life balance has worsened. The expanded focus on strategy and revenue has had an impact on the amount of time CIOs are able to spend on innovation, with 30% saying it has decreased in the last 12 months.

Instead, 61 percent of CIOs are now spending time on strategic planning.

“It is clear from these survey results that the role of the CIO has changed and is continuing to evolve. Digital transformation has impacted almost every industry, which has led to the role of the CIO increasing in importance,” says chief executive officer at Logicalis, Frikkie Grobler.

“CIOs are now expected to be responsible for business performance at a strategic level which has added to the time that they are expected to spend on maintaining IT infrastructure,” the CEO added.

It appears – based on Logicalis’ findings – as if the desire to have CIOs more deeply involved with the business has swung too far in the other direction.

While the research doesn’t say responsibilities should be reduced, it does highlight the need for greater support and less focus on executing day-to-day activities.

“These survey results are stark in their findings and show the increased amount of pressure being exerted on CIOs,” explains Grobler.

“Organisations must ensure their CIO is fully supported and has the necessary resources to carry out their job effectively. Businesses are pushing their CIOs to understand more about the line of business and input on strategy, whilst CIOs are still under pressure carrying out day-to-day activities. Clearly, this needs to be addressed,” the CEO concludes.

We’ve outlined a few highlights from the 2019 Global CIO Survey below.

  • 61 percent of CIOs surveyed say time spent on strategic planning has increased in the last 12 months
  • 43 percent of CIOs surveyed say their performance is now measured on revenue growth
  • 49 percent of CIOs surveyed say job satisfaction has decreased in the last 12 months
  • 29 percent of CIOs surveyed say their work/life balance has worsened in the last year1

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

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