While many CIOs are satisfied with leading operations in small- or midsize enterprises, there are those who aspire to reach the pinnacle of the IT career ladder. These individuals strive to ascend to the highest positions within the industry. Fractional CIOs in large enterprises, especially those with market capitalizations in the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars, possess distinct qualities compared to their counterparts at lower levels. IT leaders in major corporations are typically expected to possess knowledge and skills that may seem insignificant or unnecessary in smaller organizations.
For any organization that wants to hire an IT professional, these following attributes are often included in the “must-have” lists of these industry giants.
The Top 10 Attributes To Consider Before Hiring A Fractional CIO
A full-time fractional CIO, much like a traditional CIO, assumes the crucial role of shaping an enterprise’s IT strategy and management. Their responsibilities encompass various aspects, such as overseeing IT teams, developing and supervising budgets, making informed decisions regarding technology investments, and offering guidance on IT systems and governance.
In addition, fractional IT executives may also be entrusted with driving digital transformation initiatives, providing direction for application development, and identifying and addressing security concerns. Let’s explore all the attributes one by one to ensure you get the best under the budget.
-
Proficiency In Nurturing, And Retaining Highly Skilled IT Experts
Surprisingly, this crucial competency is often overlooked when identifying the qualities of an exceptional CIO. It is frequently left for me to broach during discussions with my clients, and even then, it is only added to the list if it was previously absent.
Therefore, we highly value CIO candidates who naturally highlight and substantiate their expertise in this area.
-
Global Or International Experience
A decade ago, this aspect may not have been considered essential. However, as companies expand their reach to international markets and cross-border acquisitions become commonplace, it is now frequently expected that a top-tier fractional CIO possesses an understanding of foreign cultures and business practices.
While knowledge of a specific market, country, or language may be required in some cases, a broader openness and awareness gained through firsthand experience of different global business environments is generally sought after.
-
Industry-Specific Knowledge And Experience
The demand for candidates from the client’s own industry, such as banking and computer security. We often suggest considering individuals with alternative experiences in industries that share similar business models.
Occasionally, a client may explicitly request a CIO candidate from a different industry to infuse fresh ideas and progressive thinking from another sector of the economy.
-
Proficiency In Driving And Managing Change
This requirement is prevalent and significant, as most searches are initiated not simply to replace a departing CIO but rather to establish new positions in organizations that have never had a fractional CIO or to elevate the role from its legacy responsibilities to a true CIO capacity. The primary objective here is to transform the IT function from an operational necessity to a strategic asset.
Additionally, the ability to introduce changes in the organization’s operational and business processes, enhancing efficiency and competitiveness, is commonly sought after. CEOs, particularly in challenging economic conditions, are keen on business process reengineering and continuous process improvement.
-
Effective Communication Skills
Articulating strategies or emotions intelligently and appropriately is an absolute must. Excellent listening skills, along with strong negotiation, persuasion, and conflict-resolution abilities, are also vital.
These skills encompass various forms of communication, including written communication, one-on-one discussions, group presentations, and public speaking engagements.
-
Exceptional Management Skills
Proficiency in leading and overseeing individuals, projects, resources, budgets, vendors, and other business partners is essential. Outstanding managers are also expected to excel in team building, motivation, coaching, and mentoring.
Setting priorities, allocating appropriate resources to those priorities, and delivering projects on time and within budget are consistently considered key requirements for a top-notch fractional CIO.
-
Relationship-Building Skills
From the perspective of CEOs or COOs searching for a CIO, dysfunctional relationships and a lack of rapport between the CIO and other C-level officers and business unit leaders are observable and all-too-common reasons for failure. The expectation for strong relationships extends to interactions with customers, suppliers, and partners as well.
Establishing and maintaining a solid understanding, rapport, bond, and trust between individuals take interpersonal communication to a higher level.
-
Business Acumen
Lack of business understanding, both in terms of the specific industry served by the employer and general business knowledge, is often seen as the most visible and frustrating shortcoming among senior IT managers. CIOs who do not make a concerted effort or lack the ability to develop a deep understanding of the industry and the company’s business strategy are destined to fail because their capacity to contribute value to the organization’s progress and well-being is inherently limited.
Furthermore, a foundation in accounting, finance, supply chain management, marketing, sales, and traditional and online distribution channels is necessary for success.
-
Expertise In Aligning & Leveraging Technology To Benefit The Enterprise
This requirement always serves as a cornerstone in the CIO search specification process. While specific technological facets like ERP, web infrastructure, e-commerce, CRM, sales-force automation, and data warehousing are frequently mentioned, fractional CIO is often considered preferred rather than mandatory qualifications.
Experience with specific application software packages, such as SAP (the most frequently requested), or particular operating software platforms, like Unix, is rarely required, and hardware brand knowledge is almost never a specific criterion.
-
Leadership Ability
Leadership is an indispensable quality found in every CIO search specification, often ranking first and receiving the most emphasis. “What we really need is a leader” is a sentiment frequently expressed. Leadership is a subjective yet easily recognizable quality that distinguishes exceptional CIOs (and other exceptional managers) from merely good ones. Leaders possess special qualities—they are visionary, passionate, inspirational, wise, charismatic, confident, influential, risk-takers, encouraging, positive, reassuring, creative thinkers, goal-setters, helpful, supportive, principled, honorable, fair, and open-minded individuals.
They serve as role models, stimulate ideas, and bring out the best in everyone around them. Leadership represents the most valuable currency one can possess in their career.
Get Affordable Fractional CIOs Services Today!
Fractional CIOs demonstrate to potential clients their ability to offer valuable expertise and innovative thinking to the organization, all while setting themselves apart from other senior-level employees. Additionally, they must actively engage in networking to identify promising start-ups that are experiencing rapid growth.
These start-ups require a visionary perspective to develop a highly scalable IT infrastructure that can support their expansion but may not have the resources to hire a full-time equivalent.
Are you seeking one of the best fractional CIOs to uplift your business game? You can connect with CIO Professional Services, LLC, for quality CIOs that unlock the opportunity of your company to a whole new level. Visit their website to explore more details.
