The CIO Role Is Changing

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Nowadays, chief information officers (CIOs) are charged with more than keeping their organization’s IT operations up and running, according to a new study from IT staffing specialist Robert Half Technology.

In a survey of 2,500 CIOs in the U.S., the firm discovered that 35 percent of CIOs now consider their roles as chiefly functional, down from 44 percent five years ago. More than a third (34 percent) of the technology executives said their role was mostly strategic, up from 32 percent five years ago. Twenty-one percent view their role as transformational, up from 19 percent, and nine percent said their roles were a combination of all three.

“The role of the CIO continues to evolve, and fewer companies view the IT function as one that simply keeps technology running smoothly,” said John Reed, senior executive director for Robert Half Technology, in prepared remarks. “Firms that empower their tech leaders to transform and drive change will benefit by helping their customers, while attracting high caliber IT talent. The best and brightest want to be strategic and contribute on multiple levels.”

Looking beyond their current positions atop the IT pecking order, 27 percent of CIOs said they’d consider a move for a bigger paycheck. A quarter expressed interest in becoming a consultant or having more control over their schedules and 21 percent are enticed by the prospect of running their own company.

Fourteen percent would consider a job change if it meant being involved in more strategic decisions. A change of industry was an attractive proposition for 13 percent of the CIOs polled for the study.

CIOs who are pondering a career move may want to consider a change of scenery instead.

Earlier this year, Robert Half Technology named sunny Miami, Florida as the number one city for CIO job satisfaction in the U.S., followed by Boston. Des Moines, Indianapolis and Cincinnati rounded out the top five. San Francisco, known for its vibrant tech community, came in tenth place.

In general, CIOs listed pride in their organization and feeling appreciated as top drivers for job satisfaction. CIOs also like it when others take an interest in their work. “Technology professionals at all levels work extremely hard, and they are often motivated and get the most fulfillment when they are passionate about their organization’s mission and recognized for their contributions,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology, in a statement.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Enterprise Storage Forum. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.