CIO.com magazine says hiring of executive level tech leaders is “back in high gear.”
The pandemic brought a halt to most CIO and CTO hiring as companies scrambled to meet the needs of employees who began working remotely – many for the first time – in mid-March when all but essential businesses were shuttered.
At the same time, those holding those top IT jobs were hesitant to make a move. With 60% of IT leaders in a recent survey saying they couldn’t forecast conditions beyond three months, one top tech recruiting leader told CIO, “If you have a hard time telling the future, how willing are you going to be to go to a new organization?”
Now, companies have again begun to recruit professionals for their top IT jobs. Recently, CIO noted HP, Okta and Quick Base all hired new CIOs. Retailers Bed, Bath & Beyond and H&M Group announced new CTOs. In September, California utility PG&E brought on a new CTO.
Recruiters tell CIO that much of the initial screening and interviewing is being done remotely.
“Virtual meetings create great flexibility for candidates and hiring managers alike, reducing time spent traveling from across the country or even overseas. It also eliminates the stress that comes with sitting in meetings with one stakeholder after another during a single day,” says CIO.
Final meetings with candidates are still done in person, though the setting has changed. “Hiring managers and candidates might have a final meeting over a coffee outdoors or walk in the park, which can help cement culture fit.”
Online recruiting and interviewing has helped accelerate at least some parts of a hiring process that pre-COVID could take months. Still, each company has its own hiring process, so it’s difficult to tell how much speedier hiring has become.
Though circumstances can change, right now the recruiters interviewed by CIO say senior level hiring is likely to remain strong.
One top recruiting leader says, “We don’t see hiring slowing down at this time. There are a lot of skillsets that are highly sought after.”
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