IT specialists as "doctors?" Could be. Both have to translate technical jargon to a lay audience in a diplomatic and often nurturing manner. In fact, 97 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) polled recently said they look for well-developed soft skills - such as communication abilities and business acumen - when hiring information technology staff. This represents a 12-point increase from a 1996 survey in which CIOs were asked the same question.
The survey was developed by RHI Consulting, a leading specialized consulting firm that provides information technology professionals on a project basis. Conducted by an independent research firm, the survey includes responses from 1,400 CIOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with more than 100 employees.
CIOs were asked: "When evaluating a job candidate for an information technology position, how important are the individual's 'soft' skills, such as business acumen and interpersonal skills?" Their responses:
- Very Important - 68% in 1998 vs 46% in 1996
- Somewhat Important - 29% in 1998 vs 39% in 1996
- Not too important - 2% in 1998 vs 3% in 1996
- Not at all important - 1% in 1998 vs 7% in 1996
- Don't know/other - 0% in 1998 vs 5% in 1996
CIOs were also asked: "What do you see as the single most important 'soft' skill for a job candidate to possess?" Their responses:
- Interpersonal Skills - 33%
- Written or verbal communication skills - 27%
- Ability to work under pressure - 21%
- Overall business acumen - 14%
- Professional image - 2%
- Don't know/not sure - 3%
"Technology professionals are called upon to deliver ever-increasing amounts of technical information to non-technical users and managers," said Greg Scileppi, executive director of RHI Consulting. "Whether they're strategizing IT initiatives with senior executives or training end users to operate a new system, skilled technologists are most effective if they can communicate complex information in lay terms and in a non-threatening manner."
Scileppi added, "The migration to PC-based, client/server environments has brought IT professionals in closer contact with end users, requiring IT job candidates to have strong interpersonal skills. A customer service orientation combined with a healthy sense of humor goes a long way on the job. In addition, as firms upgrade their networks, enhance their online services and use technology to streamline operations, overall business knowledge becomes more critical."
RHI Consulting provides firms with skills IT professionals for projects ranging from multi-platform systems integration to help desk and network support. It has more than 100 locations in North America and Europe, and offers online job search services at
http://www.rhic.com.
