marlin-human-capital

A Deep Dive into Contract Recruitment Amidst New Fixed-Term Contract Regulations

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 08:32:15 GMT

The last 12 months have seen a notable shift in hiring trends across Sydney and Melbourne. Job seekers demand greater work/life balance and seek more meaningful work.

Employers need to deliver on business critical transformations against rising costs and financial pressures. Essential for both is flexibility. Amidst this evolution, the true engine of change and innovation remains constant: People. Their talent is the lifeblood that keeps businesses ahead of the curve.

So, how can organisations thrive in this dynamic? Contract recruitment. It meets the demands of a changing workforce seeking flexibility and varied experiences and for employers, it underscores a strategic move towards agility and immediate expertise.

However, imminent changes to the regulations governing fixed-term contracts, commencing 6 December 2023, will significantly impact the hiring of contractors in 2024 and beyond. Fixed-term contracts will be limited to a maximum of two years, including renewals and extensions, barring a few exceptions.

For organisations in the throes of business transformation, embracing contract recruitment isn't merely about staying current; it's about harnessing the power of specialised skills on-demand and adapting swiftly to market shifts.

In fact, the latest data from the Bureau of Statistics has revealed 390,000, or 3.4 per cent, of Australian workers are employed on contracts.

The question is not whether contract recruitment is valuable, but rather, how organisations can swiftly adapt to these new regulatory changes.

1. The Growing Importance of Contract Recruitment in Technology & Business Change

Transformation isn’t just about adopting new technologies or processes – it's about navigating a volatile, uncertain, complex, and often ambiguous environment. This calls for talent that can adapt quickly and bring in fresh perspectives. With global transformation spending expected to reach over $2.3 trillion by the end of 2023, according to the International Data Corporation, businesses are increasingly recognising the need for specialised skill sets to navigate these transitions.

The dynamic nature of transformation projects means demand for very particular skills is often sudden – and once a project is complete, those skills may no longer be needed. Companies like Telstra, for instance, have tapped into contract recruitment to facilitate their shift from traditional telecommunications to modern IT services, bringing in expertise on a project-by-project basis.

Success hinges on a nimbleness in sourcing the right talent. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the contingent workforce, which includes contract workers, has seen a growth of over 15% in the past five years

The meteoric rise of Australian FinTech firms is a prime example. As they pivot towards offering cutting-edge digital solutions, they have consistently relied on contract recruitment to bring in niche experts from global markets, who can integrate advanced technologies and then move on once the project concludes. This is where contract recruitment shines. But what are the tangible benefits of this approach under the new changes to fixed term contract regulations?

2. Benefits of Contract Recruitment for Business Transformation

Contract recruitment remains an important employment avenue for organisations. Beyond expertise on-demand, it offers numerous benefits, including speed, flexibility, access to specialised skills, cost efficiency, risk mitigation, and wealth of experience from various industries, offering fresh viewpoints that can disrupt the status quo and foster innovation.

Under the new regulations, employers will need to be more strategic in utilising fixed-term contracts, ensuring they align with the specified exemptions, such as engaging employees for distinct tasks involving specialised skills or covering peak demand periods.

While the benefits of contract hiring are many and notable, the regulatory change mandates a more strategic approach in utilising contract recruitment, especially for longer-term transformation projects.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the contingent workforce, which includes contract workers, has seen a growth of over 15% in the past five years, showcasing the increasing reliance on temporary skilled talent in the Australian business landscape.

Let’s take the tech industry as a case in point. As tech giants in Australia scramble to integrate Artificial Intelligence into their solutions, they need experts who can work on these projects for 6-24 months. These are often roles that didn’t exist a few years ago, and the rush to get the best talent is fierce. It's a double-edged sword: while the potential benefits are tremendous, the pitfalls can be significant.

So, what should businesses be wary of when they tap into contract recruitment under the forthcoming legislative changes?

3. Navigating Challenges with New Fixed-Term Contract Regulations

The need to align with the new regulations shouldnt be viewed as a barrier, rather employers should plan and prepare for these changes.

Employers must ensure compliance by providing a Fixed Term Employment Information Statement and adhering to the contract length limitations and renewal restrictions. Effective strategies to manage this include partnering with recruitment agencies and fostering a contractor-friendly work environment.

In some cases, these changes may result in the termination of employment. In this instance, organisations can mitigate the risks associated with termination by focusing on creating an inclusive work environment, and consistently communicating the importance of the contractor's role until the contract concludes.

Preparation for Contract Changes:

Review Current Fixed Term Contracts: Assess each contract to determine the impact of new rules on extension or renewal possibilities.

Evaluate Exemptions: Identify possible exemptions for extending or renewing contracts and seek legal advice if necessary.

Plan for Employee Futures: Decide on future steps for employees whose contracts cannot be extended or renewed. Options include contract termination or permanent employment.

Employee Consultation: Discuss potential impacts with affected employees, especially those accustomed to regular contract renewals.

Assess New Fixed Term Contracts: Consider the feasibility of engaging new employees on fixed-term contracts. This is generally viable for employment needs up to two years, beyond which exemptions should be considered.

4. Consequences of Not Extending/Renewing Fixed Term Contracts

Businesses unable to extend or renew a fixed-term contract, and without an exemption, face two primary options: allow the contract to end or transition the employee to permanent status.

Ending the contract: If no exemption is likely to be applicable, the business will need to consider what the future plans are for the relevant employees. It would be best practice to consult with any employees that are likely to be affected by the changes, especially those employees who are used to being given periodic new fixed-term contracts each year.

The complexities surrounding claims for unfair dismissal, redundancy pay, or notice at contract termination require specialised advice. For contractors transitioning to permanent status employers should consider:

Integration into Company Culture: There's a myth that contractors, given their short tenure, might find it more challenging to integrate into the company culture on a permanent basis. To properly assimilate them into the company culture, comprehensive onboarding programs are essential, engage them in team-building exercises, and maintain open communication lines.

Overcoming these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach, ensuring the optimal benefits of contract recruitment.

5. Strategies for Successful Contract Recruitment Within Regulatory Framework

As businesses prepare for the road ahead, it's paramount to harness strategies that not only address these challenges but also set the stage for successful business transformation via contract recruitment.

Clearly Define Roles and Expectations: It's imperative to outline clear deliverables and the scope of work from the outset.

Cultivate Strong Relationships with Recruitment Agencies: Seek agencies specialising in your industry. Over time, a strong partnership with these agencies can ensure a steady flow of quality talent.

Foster a Contractor-friendly Work Environment: Beyond the paycheck, offer contractors tools, resources, and a conducive environment to ensure they feel valued and integrated.

Regular Reviews and Feedback Sessions: Keep the lines of communication open. Regularly check-in to ensure that both parties are aligned with the transformation goals and make adjustments based on feedback.

The landscape of business transformation is rife with challenges, but with the right talent strategy, companies can navigate these forthcoming changes with agility and precision. Contract recruitment, with its plethora of benefits, remains a potent tool in an employer's arsenal.

For Australian businesses on the cusp of transformation, it's time to rethink talent strategies under the New Fixed-Term Contract Regulations. Embrace contract recruitment, not as an alternative but as an essential part of your transformation journey.

5 Innovative Hiring Strategies to Captivate the Brightest Talents

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 25 May 2023 05:07:28 GMT

There’s no better example of outstanding customer service than the Zappos flower incident. It all started when Zaz Lamarr was looking to return a pair of shoes to Zappos, when she was met with the sudden passing of her mother.

Instead of nagging their customer about returning their product, Zappos responded with empathy. The company took the initiative to arrange the pickup procedure of Zaz’s shoes and even sent a bouquet as a sign of condolences.

Their customer service team went above and beyond for their customers—and it worked.

To emulate Zappos’s example, you need not just stellar employees, but a company culture that rewards that. And to find the best talents, you need to have an extensive hiring process. However, all HR departments know that this is easier said than done.

According to LinkedIn studies, 89% of talent are more likely to join a company if recruiters contact them. This goes to show that conventional recruitment isn't cut out for today's new hires.

So, how do you find new talent?

If you can't rely on traditional means, you will need to adapt and improvise. For instance, 88% of global companies use AI to find new hires. Using unconventional or innovative means to find new hires can prove lucrative for your continued business.

But that’s just one way to break the mold. Here’s a list of creative hiring strategies to use in your business for long-term success.

5 Strategies to Find the Brightest Talents

Conventional recruitment techniques like newspaper ads are passé these days. Tapping into LinkedIn is a viable option, but it’s getting far more saturated. Everyone gets recruitment offers from LinkedIn in their inbox, so separating the real opportunities from the scams is harder than ever.

To captivate your potential recruits, here are 5 of the best hiring strategies today.

1. Highlight Workplace Flexibility

One good thing that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic is the normalisation of remote work. In fact, based on a report from Owl labs, 57% of workers prefer working from home. In addition, the same report showed that 55% of employees are more productive when working remotely.

The report mentioned above also highlighted that only 16% of companies are fully remote. However, a study by Mercer showed that 70% of employers plan to adopt a hybrid workflow that embraces both office and remote work.

So, to entice new hires, it’s a good idea to highlight workplace flexibility.

By offering flexible working conditions, both you and your employees will reap several benefits like:

Improved work efficiency
Reduced hiring costs
Lower office operating costs
Access to a broader range of talents
Competitive offers when compared to business rivals
Improved employee satisfaction

However, work flexibility is just one strategy for tapping into the best talent pool.

2. Promoting Diversity

In today’s climate, inclusivity is a must for every work environment. For Millennials and Zoomers, employee diversity is expected in their ideal workplaces. In fact, a Glassdoor survey showed that a diverse workforce is an essential consideration for 76% of employees and job-seekers .

But diversity isn’t just about appealing to the younger generations. Inclusion and diversity can also benefit the business as a whole. By having a diverse workforce, you benefit from having unique perspectives throughout the entire work environment.

You can get insights on:

How to boost employee morale
How to accomplish goals efficiently
How to tackle a project

Tips for Promoting Diversity in the Workplace To promote an inclusive environment, companies can take these steps to:

Recalibrate the criteria for an “ideal” employee
Build a diverse HR team
Create inclusive job descriptions
Encourage feedback
Assess and examine company policy

Through diversity, you not only attract potential hires but also improve the company overall.

3. Embrace Freelancers

A 9-to-5 job isn’t as commonplace for many employees. Truth be told, 50% of Millennials in the workforce are freelancers. Add to that, 44% of Zoomers are independent contractors.

The current generation of employees doesn’t share the same sentiments on work as the older generations. Work stability isn’t as crucial to the current generation of employees compared to flexible working conditions.

To attract the brightest individuals to join your company, you need to consider other avenues aside from just hiring employees. Independent workers are a vital resource that companies should adopt, especially if you need short-term assistance before you fill a full-time role. Plus, working with freelancers comes with several benefits.

Salaried employees can focus on essential tasks without being distracted by one-off projects.
One-off projects can access highly skilled talents outside your workforce.
Companies save money due to contractors not needing employee benefits, insurance, vacation leave, and retirement plans.

But, your hiring strategy shouldn’t stop at freelancers. You can include additional hiring techniques as well.

4. Adopt Networking

In a 2016 report filed by LinkedIn, companies hired 70% of employees through connections. Not to mention 80% of professionals consider networking vital to future success.

Finding the best minds for your company can be easier said than done. It could be that a competitor has already hired your ideal employee, or they might be unaware of your job posting. Therefore, you should leverage your current talent pool for the recruitment process.

You can potentially find the exact talent that your company requires through referrals. To start networking through your employees, you can employ the following steps:

Incentivise networking through a reward program that recognises successful referrals.

Employ social media by having your employees blog or post about their work experience.

Invite team members into the recruitment and interview process.

Update Your Hiring Process

Companies must have a hiring process that respects their potential new hires. Because talent is in-demand across all industries, job-seekers can be more particular about what company to join. To stand out, you need to provide a stellar recruitment process to incentivise new hires.

For instance, 75% of employees are more likely to stay with their current employer if they have a lucrative benefits package. So, it’s a wise idea to highlight your benefits package when posting job offers.

To update your hiring process, you can take steps like:

Update job descriptions that highlight benefits and future growth potential
Create a simple application process
Provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants

By providing an exemplary hiring process, you can captivate the brightest talents.

5. Expand Your Talent Pool With Smart Strategies

Having the perfect employee walk into an interview is just not going to happen by chance. Every company is looking for the best employees, so finding your ideal talent is easier said than done. So, you need to explore alternative strategies to get the cream of the crop.

Newspaper ads and LinkedIn posts aren’t enough to get you the person you need. Instead, consider leveraging tactics like networking or promoting your diverse workplace initiatives to attract the best employees for your company.

With tools like Marlin’s Executive Search, you can gain a competitive advantage over the opposition. Executive Search leverages Marlin’s extensive network of connections to help you find the best hires the first time.

With these strategies, you can improve the likelihood of hiring outstanding talent.

Need help hiring rockstar talent for years to come?

Marlin Human Capital can help you find and manage your employees to their full potential.

Get in touch with us today to start building your high-performance team.

CIO or CTO?

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 18 May 2023 08:26:55 GMT

The role of the technology leader has undergone significant changes over the past decade. In today's fast-paced and rapidly evolving business environment, technology leaders are expected to play a more strategic role in driving innovation and creating value for their organisations.

For business transformation, in particular, the role of technology leaders has more profound implications. One of the key questions that arise when considering the appointment of a technology leader is whether they should focus on being a business process expert or a technology evangelist - does your organisation need a Chief Information Officer or a Chief Technology Officer?

The answer to this question is not straightforward and depends on a range of factors, including the nature of the business, the type of business transformation required, the industry in which it operates, and the organisation's strategic goals. However, there is no doubt that CIOs and CTOs must possess a broad set of skills that go beyond technical expertise if they are to succeed in today's business environment. We explore how both roles influence and contribute to business success.

Business Process Mastery: The CIO's Imperative

Business Process Mastery is an essential skill for CIOs. Understanding the organisation's workflows and procedures enables CIOs to identify optimisation and improvement opportunities. By analysing business processes, they can pinpoint inefficiencies, redundancies, and areas where technology can streamline operations. CIOs who have this mastery can lead their companies towards process excellence and achieve organisational success.

In addition to driving operational efficiency, being a business process expert allows CIOs to contribute to the overall strategic direction of the organisation. By working closely with other business leaders, they can identify areas where technology can create value and drive growth.

According to a 2019 survey of global CIOs conducted by Deloitte , 57% of respondents stated that their primary focus was on business operations and process optimisation. This highlights the growing importance of the CIO as a business process expert who can drive operational efficiency and contribute to the overall success of the organisation.

An example of a CIO who has successfully played the role of a business process expert is Rob Carter, the CIO of FedEx. Carter believes that the key to success as a CIO is understanding the business and how technology can be used to drive innovation and create value. Under his leadership, FedEx has transformed its IT systems and processes, leveraging new technologies to streamline operations and improve customer service.

Technology Visionary: The CTO's Key Leadership Trait

Whilst the ability to fully understand business processes is essential for any technology leader, today's CTOs must also possess more than just technical expertise, they must be technology evangelists who can promote the use of technology across the organisation. CTOs who are technology evangelists can identify new and innovative technologies that can be used to drive business growth and create value.

By working closely with other business leaders, CTOs can identify areas where technology can be used to drive innovation and create new business models. They can also communicate the value of technology in a way that resonates with business leaders and helps them see how technology can enable their business processes and create value for the organisation.

According to a 2019 Gartner survey, 60% of CTOs stated that they were focused on digital transformation and innovation. This highlights the growing importance of the CTO as a technology evangelist who can drive the adoption of new technologies and promote innovation within the organisation.

Satya Nadella’s visionary and strategic approach transformed Microsoft's culture and strategy, moving the company from a focus on packaged software to a cloud-first, mobile-first strategy. Under his leadership, Microsoft has become a leading provider of cloud-based technologies and services, driving innovation and creating value for the organisation and its customers.

The blurred lines between business and technology

In today's digital era, the lines between business and technology are becoming increasingly blurred. Technology is no longer just an enabler of business processes, but a strategic driver of innovation, growth, and competitive advantage. Business leaders are now recognising the immense potential of technology to transform their organisations and create new opportunities.

Conversely, technology leaders, including CTOs, realise that they cannot just focus on the technical aspects of their role but must also understand the broader business context. They need to align technology initiatives with the organisation's strategic goals and demonstrate the value of technology in driving business outcomes.

This shift in mindset underscores the need for both business process experts and technology evangelists, as these roles are increasingly intertwined in today's digital world.

The role of data in the modern CIO's toolkit

One area where the lines between business and technology are blurring is in the realm of data. Data has become a critical asset for organisations, and its strategic management can drive significant business value.

As data becomes more pervasive and organisations harness its power for decision-making, CIOs need to play a strategic role in data governance, management, and analytics. They need to understand how data flows through the organisation, how it is stored, analysed, and used, and how it can be leveraged to drive insights and inform business strategies.

CIOs who are well-versed in data management can identify patterns, trends, and opportunities that can enable the organisation to make data-driven decisions and gain a competitive advantage. They can also ensure that the organisation is compliant with data regulations and protect the data from cybersecurity threats, as data breaches can have severe consequences for organisations, including financial losses and reputational damage.

One CIO who has notably leveraged data as a strategic asset is DJ Patil, the former CIO of the United States during the Obama administration. Patil spearheaded the use of data analytics to drive insights and inform policies, resulting in significant improvements in government operations and services. His role as a data-driven leader showcases the importance of CIOs understanding and leveraging data to drive strategic outcomes for their organisations.

The changing landscape of technology: Embracing innovation

The landscape of technology is constantly evolving, and for CTOs, this reinforces the need to stay abreast of the latest trends and innovations to remain effective in their roles. Proactively identifying emerging technologies that can drive innovation and create value for their organisations is essential in gaining a competitive advantage.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain are disrupting industries and transforming business models. Understanding the potential of these technologies to automate processes, enhance customer experiences, and uncover insights from vast amounts of data are vital in delivering transformational organisational change. CTOs who are well-versed in IoT can leverage connected devices to optimise supply chain operations, monitor equipment performance, and enable predictive maintenance. Similarly, the intelligent use of blockchain can enhance security, transparency, and trust in business processes.

One example of a technology leader who has embraced innovation is Dr. Thomas Weber, the CIO of Lufthansa Cargo. Weber has been at the forefront of leveraging emerging technologies to transform the logistics industry. Under his leadership, Lufthansa Cargo has implemented technologies such as blockchain and IoT to optimise its supply chain operations, improve cargo tracking and enhance customer experiences. His proactive approach to embracing innovation points to the importance of being a technology evangelist and driving innovation in their organisations. It also points to the increasing cross-over of skills that today’s technology leaders must possess in order to drive innovation.

Adapting to changing business processes: Agility and flexibility

In today's fast-paced business environment, organisations need to be agile and adaptable to changing market dynamics. Business processes need to be constantly reviewed and optimised to stay competitive. This requires CIOs to be actively involved in understanding, analysing, and optimising business processes.

CIOs need to collaborate with business leaders to identify pain points, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies in business processes and find technological solutions to address them. They need to have a deep understanding of the organisation's operations, workflows, and customer interactions to ensure that technology is integrated seamlessly into the business processes.

A notable example of a CIO who has been successful in optimising business processes to aid rapid growth is Tim Campos, the former CIO of Facebook. Campos led initiatives to streamline internal processes, automate workflows, and improve collaboration across teams, enabling Facebook to scale its operations rapidly and efficiently.

Balancing technology innovation with business outcomes

While technology innovation is essential, technology leaders must also ensure that technology initiatives align with the organisation's strategic goals and drive measurable business outcomes. It is not enough for CTOs to be technology evangelists; they need to demonstrate the value of technology in creating tangible results for the organisation.

CTOs need to have a deep understanding of the organisation's business objectives, competitive landscape, and customer needs to identify technology initiatives that can deliver value. They need to work closely with business leaders to define technology roadmaps, prioritise initiatives, allocate resources, and measure outcomes.

One example of a technology leader who has effectively balanced technology innovation with business outcomes is Kim Hammonds, the former CIO of Deutsche Bank. As part of a strategic overhaul that included raising more than $8 billion of capital, partially listing its asset management arm and revamping parts of its business model in a bid to recover from legacy issues and billion-dollar dents in its balance sheet, Hammonds appointed Pascal Boillat as group chief information officer to spearhead its technology agenda, working with the bank's business divisions to modernise its IT infrastructure to reduce complexity and risk while enabling business growth.

Her success in aligning technology initiatives with people and business outcomes showcases the importance of being both technology evangelists and business process experts.

Building a strategic partnership with business leaders

To effectively fulfil the roles of business process expert and technology evangelist, strong strategic partnerships with other business leaders are vital. Both CIOs and CTOs must collaborate closely with executives, department heads, and other stakeholders to understand their needs, challenges, and opportunities.

Active participation in strategic discussions and contribution of their technical expertise to help shape the direction and priorities of the organisation, communicating the value of technology in driving business outcomes is critical in gaining buy-in from business leaders.

Technology leaders need to constantly scan the business landscape, proactively identify opportunities where technology can create value for the organisation and engage with business leaders on how technology can drive innovation, efficiency, and growth.

A successful example of a CIO who has built a strategic partnership with business leaders is Ursula Burns, the former CIO of Xerox. Burns worked closely with business leaders to drive digital transformation initiatives that resulted in new revenue streams, improved customer experiences, and increased operational efficiency . She transformed the company into a services provider focusing on three areas. One is business process outsourcing (BPO), the second is IT outsourcing (ITO), and the third is what She calls document outsourcing. Her ability to collaborate with business leaders, listen and understand customers' needs and align technology initiatives with business goals showcases the importance of CIOs being strategic partners in driving organisational success.

As organisations continue to face unprecedented challenges and disruptions, the role of the Technology leader becomes even more critical in driving digital transformation and creating value.

So CIOs need to have a strategic mindset, adapt to changing technologies, and foster a culture of innovation within their organisations. By embracing their role as both business process experts and technology evangelists, CIOs can lead their organisations to achieve sustainable business growth and success in the digital age.

The answer to the question of whether an organisation needs a Chief Information Officer or a Chief Technology Officer remains subjective. Both roles are critical, but the emphasis may differ depending on your organisation's goals and priorities.

As evidenced above, the roles of the CIO and the CTO have become increasingly integrated, and there has been a blurring of the lines between the two positions. While the CIO traditionally focused on managing an organisation's information systems and technology infrastructure, and the CTO was responsible for developing and implementing new technologies and driving innovation, today's technology leaders are required to excel in both areas.

As a result of these changes, the roles of the CIO and the CTO have become more intertwined. There is a growing trend towards merging the two roles. Many organisations are now appointing individuals with a hybrid skill set that includes both business acumen and technical expertise to lead their technology functions. This ensures that technology is integrated into the company's overall strategy and that it is aligned with the organisation's business goals.

Ultimately, the most effective technology leaders will be those who can balance both roles and seamlessly integrate technology into the organisation's business processes to drive business transformation.

Why The Right Leadership is Key to Creating Positive Social Change as a Business

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Mon, 15 May 2023 04:55:17 GMT

Businesses are under pressure like never before to create positive social change. There’s an increasing expectation from consumers, employees, and other stakeholders for businesses to be purpose-driven and to make a positive difference in the world.

However, many businesses struggle to achieve success when it comes to creating positive social change. In fact, nearly 98% of business sustainability initiatives fail often because they lack the right leadership.

What is Positive Social Change?

Positive social change can be defined as any purposeful effort to improve and transform behaviour, social relationships, and social structure to generate positive results for the well-being of individuals, communities, or society.

For businesses, it means taking proactive measures and changes that generate value beyond legal compliance or a response to specific events. This means it goes beyond just the usual activities companies implement, like volunteering days or office waste reduction programs, but implements a holistic and sustainable approach to the entire business model.

Some common examples of positive social change include:

Improving access to education and healthcare
Preserving the environment
Advancing gender equality
Promoting social inclusion and diversity
Upholding employee welfare
Leadership for positive social change

Leadership is critical for businesses seeking to create positive social change.

The right leaders can inspire employees and other stakeholders, drive innovation, and make tough decisions necessary to effect real change. Many different leadership styles can be effective in creating positive social change. However, the most important thing is that leaders take a holistic and long-term view of social change movements rather than thinking about isolated incidents or quick fixes.

Some leadership qualities that are important for creating positive social change include:

Strategic thinking
The ability to inspire others
Change management skills
Strong communication skills
Passion and commitment

How Can Leaders Initiate Change and Achieve Success

Here are 5 ways businesses can achieve success and create positive social change with the right leader:

1 - The right leaders have a clear visiMost successful businesses start with a clear vision for change. This means clearly understanding what needs to be changed and why it’s essential to make those changes.

The right leaders also have the ability to communicate this vision to others in a way that inspires them to take action. They can rally people around a shared goal and get them excited about making a difference.

For example, when Tim Cook took over Apple as CEO following Steve Jobs’s death, he started a major shift in the company. From being the biggest tech innovator, Cook led the company to invest in the environment, factory working conditions, the advancement of health measurements, and more. His vision for change within Apple resulted in the increase of Apple’s stock by 480% since he became CEO in 2011.

2 - The right leaders take action.

The best leaders don’t just talk about change. They take action. They’re willing to experiment and try new things to create positive social change. They understand that sometimes initiatives fail, but they know that failures can be used as learning opportunities to help them improve their approach. The key is never to give up and always keep moving forward.

For example, Nike faced criticism for its sweatshops in the 1990s because of allegations that its global supply chain involved poverty wages, human trafficking, and child labour. Nike could have chosen to ignore the problem and hoped it would disappear.

Instead, under the leadership of then chairman and chief executive Phil Knight, Nike took action and implemented a series of reforms that improved working conditions in its factories. The ability to immediately take action and continued efforts to prevent the same issue from happening again made Nike one of the leading sports brands in the world.

3 - The right leaders are adaptable.

The ability to adapt is another essential quality of successful leaders. This is because the world is constantly changing, and businesses need to be able to change with it. The best leaders constantly learn and try new ways to improve their approach. They’re also open to feedback and willing to make changes based on their learning.

Netflix is an excellent example of a company that has adapted to the changing landscape of the entertainment industry. When it started in 1997, Netflix was a DVD rental service that opened through the mail. However, when streaming became popular, Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, led the company to transition to online streaming. As a result, in 2021, the company had an operating profit of $5.1 billion —an 85% increase year-on-year.

4 - The right leaders are inclusive.

Inclusive leaders understand that businesses need to reflect the diversity of the world around them. They’re working to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and included.

This is essential because when people feel they belong, they’re more likely to be engaged and productive employees. According to Bernard Coleman III, head of Diversity & Inclusion for Uber, diversity may be achievable without inclusion but will not be sustainable . A lack of belongingness from employees adversely impacts the company’s bottom line.

For example, L’Oreal is a company that has been working to become more inclusive since the early 2000s. They intend to have a workforce of people coming from every culture, background, and lifestyle.

L’Oreal focused on recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce to achieve this. As of 2021, 69% of L’Oreal’s total workforce are women , with 47% holding key strategic positions. Plus, they directly hired 1,509 employees with disabilities and have 45 full-time employees via their suppliers who are certified LGBTQIA+-owned companies in the USA.

This approach resulted in increased employee satisfaction and engagement, helping L’Oreal continue to grow as a business.

5 - The right leaders value their employees.

The best leaders understand that their employees are their most important asset. They know that happy and engaged employees lead to a more successful business. That's why they strive to create an environment where employees feel valued and appreciated. Also, they offer competitive salaries and benefits and opportunities for professional development.

According to Gallup research, companies with highly engaged employees have 21% greater profitability . So, having a leader that realises the importance of employee experience and that doing so benefits the staff and helps the company grow bigger and faster.

Campbell's Soup is an excellent example of this. In 2000, the soup company lost over half its market value and rock-bottom employee engagement scores. So, in 2001 when Doug Conant took over the CEO role, he prioritised employee experience by listening to them and creating a positive culture at work.

By 2009, the company achieved a staggering 23:1 engaged-to-disengaged employee ratio . In the same decade, Campbell's Soup stock increased by 30%, while other S&P 500 stocks lost 10% of their value.

Right Leaders Can Drive Significant Social Change

Businesses want to achieve positive social change because it promotes better work environments and profits. Like the companies we mentioned, having the right leaders who can drive change and innovation within their organisation saw better gains and employee engagement.

So, to achieve positive social change within your company and the world, you must have leaders who can influence and implement necessary adjustments. When choosing a leader, it's essential to consider their values and how they align with the company's mission.

Remember: The best leaders are adaptable, inclusive, and value their employees.

Do you have the right leader who can help your company create a positive social change?

Marlin Human Capital can help in looking for the right talent to lead your journey towards creating a positive impact. We broker pioneering executive and technology leadership appointments for organisations like your own.

Get in touch with us today!

Digital Darwinism: Why Data is Critical for Business Survival

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Mon, 01 May 2023 08:19:06 GMT

Data has always been an essential element in business strategy, but as we move into 2023, it's time for companies to recognise that data should be at the very centre of their transformation strategy.

In the context of business transformation, it's essential for companies to embrace digital Darwinism and actively seek out new ways to use technology and data to their advantage.

This may involve developing new business models, creating digital products and services, or using data analytics to optimise operations and improve customer experience. With the explosion of digital data and the rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), organisations need to place a greater emphasis on data to remain competitive.

Despite the obvious advantages, some still argue that other factors should take precedence over data when it comes to business transformation. In this article, we'll explore why data should be at the heart of any business transformation strategy in 2023, and examine some of the opposing viewpoints.

One of the primary reasons why data should be at the centre of business transformation strategy is that it allows organisations to make informed decisions. With the right data and analytical tools, companies can gain valuable insights into their customers, their operations, and their market position. This can help them identify new opportunities, optimise their processes, and develop more effective marketing strategies.

For example, global retailer Walmart is using data to transform its business. The company has invested heavily in AI and ML technologies to analyse customer data and improve its supply chain operations. This has allowed Walmart to optimise its inventory management, reduce waste, and improve customer satisfaction. In addition, the company has used data to personalise its marketing campaigns and create a more engaging customer experience.

Of course, not everyone believes that data should be the main focus of business transformation. It stands to reason that factors such as customer experience, employee engagement, and innovation should take priority. While these are all important factors, it's important to recognize that data can play a critical role in improving all of them.

When it comes to CX, data can be used to improve the customer experience by providing insights into customer preferences and behaviours. Creating highly personalised experiences that better meet their customers' needs in the face of rapidly shifting expectations would be incredibly challenging without leveraging the insights from data. Similarly, data can be used to identify areas where employees are struggling or where training is needed, leading to improved employee engagement and retention. Equally, data can be used to drive innovation by identifying new market opportunities and developing new products and services.

It stands to reason that data provides companies with the opportunity to gain a competitive edge. In today's fast-paced business environment, companies that are slow to adapt to new technologies and changing market conditions risk being left behind. By leveraging data, companies can gain a deeper understanding of their competitors, anticipate market trends, and develop strategies to stay ahead of the competition.

For example, insurance companies are using data to transform their businesses by leveraging predictive analytics to identify fraud, reduce risk, and improve customer service. By analysing large amounts of data, insurers can identify patterns and anomalies that indicate fraudulent activity, enabling them to take action before claims are paid out. In addition, insurers are using data to create personalised policies that better meet their customer's needs and to develop new products and services that address emerging market trends.

Despite the clear benefits of using data to drive business transformation, without a solid strategy that builds data into the core of business transformation initiatives, it can easily become too complex and difficult to manage, leading to a focus on short-term gains at the expense of long-term value.

Companies that invest in the right data management tools and processes can gain valuable insights into their operations and customers, and make more informed decisions about how to allocate resources and pursue new opportunities. Moreover, data can actually help companies achieve long-term value by identifying areas where they can reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and create new revenue streams. It's critical for organisations to recognise the benefits that data can provide and to invest in the right tools and processes to manage it effectively. By leveraging data, companies can make strategic investments in areas that will drive sustainable growth and value creation over the long term.

Simply collecting data is not enough. The real power is in the ability to analyse and interpret the data in order to derive meaningful insights. This requires a combination of advanced analytical tools, skilled data scientists, and a company culture that values data-driven decision-making.

An excellent example of a company that has embraced digital Darwinism is Netflix. The streaming giant was able to disrupt the traditional television and movie rental industry by successfully integrating data and technology into its business transformation strategy to create a new business model. By analysing user data and developing algorithms to personalise content recommendations, Netflix was able to create a product that was both more convenient and more enjoyable than traditional video rental stores. This, in turn, allowed the company to grow rapidly and become a dominant player in the entertainment industry.

Another example is Amazon, which has built its business on the foundation of data. By analysing customer data, Amazon is able to make personalised product recommendations, optimise its supply chain operations, and improve its customer service. This has enabled the company to become one of the largest retailers in the world, with a market capitalisation of over $1 trillion.

In addition to these success stories, there are also cautionary tales of companies that have failed to leverage data effectively. One obvious example is Blockbuster, Netflix’s main competitor and once a dominant player in the video rental industry. The company failed to recognise the importance of data and was slow to adapt to new technologies such as streaming. As a result, Blockbuster eventually went bankrupt and was acquired by Dish Network.

Companies that recognise the value of putting data at the core of the business transformation strategy and invest in the right tools and processes to manage it effectively will be well-positioned to succeed in today's fast-paced business environment. By leveraging data, companies can make informed decisions, improve customer experience, stay competitive, and achieve long-term value creation.

How Companies Can Use Technology As a Force For Good

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:00:54 GMT

In a rapidly digitising world, companies are coming to grips with the imperative to move their business online. However, to successfully compete in the digital space, businesses need to understand how they can use technology as a force for good.

When done right, technology can help:

Create sustainable and ethical practices across your value chain
Build trust and loyalty with your customers
Enable new business models that better serve society
Empower employees to work more efficiently and effectively
However, when done wrong, technology can do the opposite: exacerbating inequality, harming the environment, and violating people’s privacy.

It’s crucial for CEOs and boards to take a proactive role in setting their company’s digital strategy to ensure a positive impact. They need to think about how they can use technology to create value for all their stakeholdersーnot just shareholders. And they need to build the right team with the right skills and values to execute the strategy.

Here’s how your company can do it.

Digital Transformation

The digital era requires businesses to move away from slow, manual processes and propel toward automation driven by software and data. This can help reduce environmental impact, speed decision-making, and allow businesses to serve customers better. But the initiative and leadership must start with the CEO.

What should CEOs and boards do to reimagine their business in the digital era? How can they achieve digital transformation in an equitable, sustainable way? What mindset should they have, and what concrete approaches should they implement across their organisations, supply chains, and communities?

The answer lies in taking a holistic view of technology’s impact on people, the planet, and profitーand using this perspective to drive decisions about how to best harness its power.

Here are seven ways companies can use technology as a force for good:

1. Improve business efficiency

Companies can use technology to improve business efficiency. For example, many companies are using data analytics to improve their decision-making. Data analytics is a process of analysing data to find trends and patterns. The information enables companies to make better decisions about where to allocate resources and how to operate more efficiently.

In addition, technology can be used to automate tasks that are time-consuming or difficult to do manually. For example, many companies use robotic process automation (RPA) like Amazon to automate repetitive tasks such as data entry and invoice processing. As a result, RPA can help businesses reduce costs and improve efficiency.

2. Create sustainable practices across your value chain

Companies can also use technology to protect the environment. For example, Google Street View cars have sensors that measure air pollution levels. The data collected by the sensors is then used to create maps that show where air pollution is worst. This information can help people avoid areas with high levels of air pollution.

In fighting climate change, you can use technology to develop new clean energy sources. For example, Tesla offers solar roofs to power homes with fully integrated solar and energy storage systems. Solar energy is a renewable resource that does not produce greenhouse gases, making it a sustainable option for generating electricity.

Another example is the retail chain Marks & Spencer , which uses RFID tags to track clothing items throughout its supply chain. This helps the company reduce waste and ensures that clothes are only produced when customers demand them.

3. Generate new revenue streams

You can also use technology solutions to generate new revenue streams. For example, many companies are using subscription models to sell access to their products and services. Like Netflix , which charges a monthly fee for access to its library of movies and TV shows. This model has been successful for many companies as it provides a recurring revenue stream.

In addition, technology can be used to spur innovation and create new products and services. For example, Snapchat allows users to share photos and videos that disappear after a certain amount of time. This unique feature helped Snapchat become one of the most popular social media platforms.

So, you can use technology to promote better connections among people while also creating profit.

4. Improve communication and collaboration

You can leverage the role of technology to improve communication and collaboration within your organisation. For example, many companies are using video conferencing to hold meetings without having to travel. They use video conferencing to connect people in different locations so they can see and hear each other in real-time.

You can also take advantage of technology to create virtual work environments to promote inclusive workforce. For example, the cloud-based project management tool Asana allows teams to share files, assign tasks, and track progress. This helps teams stay organised and ensures everyone is on the same page.

5. Enhance customer experience

Technology can also be a tool to elevate the customer experience. For example, many companies use Augmented Reality (AR) to provide enhanced customer experiences. A company that uses AR is IKEA, which has an app that allows users to see how furniture would look in their homes before buying it. This will enable customers to make more informed decisions about their purchases.

You can also use technology to personalise the customer experience. For example, Amazon does it through their recommendation engine that uses data from a customer’s past purchases and browsing behaviour to make product recommendations. This helps customers find products they like and helps Amazon sell more products.

6. Fight poverty and inequality

There are many ways that companies can use technology to fight poverty and inequality. For example, mobile money transfer services like M-Pesa have helped people in developing countries access financial services that were previously out of reach. In Kenya, where M-Pesa was first introduced, the service helped reduce poverty by allowing people who have access to mobile phones but do not have or have limited access to a bank account to save and borrow money.

To fight inequality, companies can use technology to connect people with opportunities. For example, the social networking site LinkedIn allows users to find job opportunities and connect with potential employers. This has helped reduce inequality by providing people from all backgrounds with access to job opportunities.

7. Promote education and healthcare

Technology is also a tool that companies can embrace to promote education and healthcare in their communities. For example, Khan Academy is a free online education platform that offers courses in subjects ranging from maths and science to history and art. The Khan Academy has helped millions of people worldwide access the education they would otherwise not have had.

In India, the Akshaya Patra Foundation uses technology to provide hot meals to schoolchildren from low-income families. They can cook and deliver fresh meals to over 1.3 million impoverished children daily through their fully automated kitchens that can prepare 185,000 meals in less than 5 hours. By leveraging technology, the foundation feeds India’s hungry children daily.

Use Technology to Advance Your Business and Community

Companies can use technology for various purposes, such as improving business efficiency, enhancing customer experiences, generating new revenue streams, and improving communication and collaboration. So, take advantage of this opportunity to advance your business while also boosting your community. But remember that you have to be accountable for the potential impact of using technology, so it’s important that you ensure it’s used ethically and humanely.

All of these are possible with the leadership of a great CEOーwhich is where you come in.

Do you have the right people to lead and implement technology in your company?

Marlin Human Capital can equip you with the right talents for the job. We broker pioneering executive and technology leadership appointments for organisations like yours.

Get in touch with our team today to access talent that can help you start using technology as a force for good.

5 ethical dimensions of emerging technology you need to consider for virtuous innovation.

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:17:34 GMT

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things are changing the face of business as we know it. The promise of increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability is tempting, but at what cost? As businesses race to adopt new technologies, are they putting ethics on the back burner?

In this blog, we will examine the moral implications of emerging technology and what it means for businesses looking to transform.

In today's rapidly changing business environment, the pressure to innovate and remain competitive has never been greater. Businesses of all sizes are seeking ways to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and stay ahead of the curve. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things are transforming the way we do business, providing opportunities to improve productivity, profitability, and customer experience. However, as businesses race to adopt these technologies, it's important to consider their ethical implications.

The rapid adoption of emerging technologies without proper ethical considerations can actually have the opposite effect, alienating stakeholders, consumers, employees, and talent that businesses hoped to win over. The ethical implications of emerging technologies cannot be ignored, and technology leaders must consider the potential risks and benefits of these advancements before implementing them. In this blog, we will explore the five ethical dimensions of emerging technologies that business leaders need to consider for responsible innovation. We will explore the five ethical dimensions of emerging technology that technology leaders need to consider for responsible innovation.

Dimension One: Privacy and Data Protection

The first dimension of ethical consideration when it comes to emerging technologies is privacy and data protection. The increasing use of data in decision-making processes, combined with the ever-increasing amounts of data being generated, presents a challenge to businesses looking to remain responsible and ethical. The collection, storage, and use of personal data have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) representing a step forward in protecting individuals' data privacy.

However, the ethical considerations of data privacy extend beyond legal compliance. Businesses must also consider the ethical implications of their data practices and ensure that they are using data in a responsible and transparent manner. Failure to do so can result in significant reputational damage and financial penalties. Businesses must ask themselves: What are the potential risks associated with data collection, and how can we ensure that our data practices are transparent and ethical?

Dimension Two: Bias and Fairness

The second ethical dimension of emerging technologies is bias and fairness. Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms have the potential to improve decision-making processes, but they also carry the risk of perpetuating bias and discrimination.

Biassed algorithms can lead to unfair outcomes for individuals or groups, perpetuating systemic discrimination in areas such as hiring, lending, and law enforcement. To address these concerns, businesses must take steps to ensure that their algorithms are transparent, accountable, and free from bias. This requires a thorough understanding of how algorithms work, as well as ongoing monitoring and evaluation to identify and correct any biases. Businesses must ask themselves: How can we ensure that our algorithms are fair and unbiased, and what steps can we take to prevent algorithmic discrimination?

Dimension Three: Responsibility and Accountability

The third ethical dimension of emerging technologies is responsibility and accountability. With the increasing use of automation and AI, the question of responsibility becomes more complex. Who is responsible when an autonomous vehicle causes an accident, or when an AI algorithm makes a decision that harms an individual or group? As these technologies become more prevalent, it is essential for businesses to consider the question of responsibility and accountability.

Businesses must take steps to ensure that they are accountable for the actions of their technologies. This requires clear lines of responsibility and a framework for assessing and addressing potential risks. Businesses must ask themselves: What steps can we take to ensure that we are accountable for the actions of our technologies, and how can we minimise the potential for harm?

Dimension Four: Sustainability and Environmental Impact

The final ethical dimension of emerging technologies is sustainability and environmental impact. As businesses look to transform and innovate, it is essential to consider the impact of emerging technologies on the environment. The increasing use of technology has the potential to exacerbate climate change and other environmental challenges.

To address these concerns, businesses must take steps to ensure that their technologies are environmentally sustainable. This requires a commitment to reducing carbon emissions, minimising waste, and promoting sustainability across all aspects of the business. Businesses must ask themselves: How can we ensure that our technologies are environmentally sustainable, and what steps can we take to reduce our environmental impact?

As emerging technologies continue to transform the business landscape, it is essential for technology leaders to consider the ethical implications of their implementation. The five ethical dimensions of emerging technology - privacy and data protection, bias and fairness, responsibility and accountability, and sustainability and environmental impact - provide a framework for the responsible adoption of emerging technologies.

Will the adoption of AI, for example, lead to job losses or a shift in job responsibilities? Will employees be adequately trained and prepared to work alongside new technologies? These are important questions that must be addressed to ensure that employees are not left behind or negatively impacted by the adoption of emerging technologies.

Dimension Five: Societal Impact

Finally, there is the dimension of societal impact. Emerging technologies have the potential to transform not only individual businesses but entire industries and communities. It is important for companies to consider the broader impact of their technological innovations on society and to ensure that they are not perpetuating societal inequalities or harm.

For example, facial recognition technology has been shown to have biases against people of colour and women, which can lead to discriminatory outcomes in law enforcement and other settings. Companies must be aware of the potential societal impact of their technologies and take steps to mitigate any negative effects.

As businesses continue to innovate and transform with emerging technologies, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of these technologies. Technology leaders need to consider the five dimensions of ethical considerations: privacy, security, employee impact, and societal impact.

Companies that prioritise responsible innovation by incorporating these dimensions into their decision-making processes will be better equipped to build trust with stakeholders, avoid negative impacts, and drive long-term success. By being proactive and thoughtful about the ethical dimensions of emerging technologies, businesses can ensure that they are making a positive impact on society while also remaining competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.

Marlin Human Capital secures the very best executive and IT Project Services talent for organisations seeking to gain a competitive advantage through transformative technology initiatives. Get in touch with us today to start your journey.

The transformation divide: Divergent views lead to project failure

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:14:29 GMT

The business world is constantly evolving, and companies that are unable to adapt quickly to changes risk falling behind their competitors. However, despite recognizing the importance of adapting to change, many companies still struggle to do so effectively. This creates what has been referred to as a "transformation divide" between executives and employees, which can impact project success and alienate talent.

What is the “transformation divide”?

The lens through which employees and executives view their organisation is not often the same. Executives and employees often have different perspectives when it comes to business change, which can lead to misunderstandings and difficulties in implementing change or transformation effectively.

The "transformation divide" is a concept that refers to the difference between how executives and employees view their organisation's ability to manage change. This divide can have a significant impact on the success of business transformation initiatives, as well as the ability of the organisation to retain and attract top talent.

Executives often have more experience in managing change at a strategic level and view the organisation's ability to manage change through a strategic lens, focused on the big picture and long-term goals. This future state thinking often paints a picture of the organisation as agile and flexible, able to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and new opportunities.

However, employees may view the organisation's ability to manage change through a more operational lens, focused on the day-to-day challenges of implementing change within their specific roles and functions. This divide can lead to a lack of alignment between executives and employees, making it difficult to implement change effectively.

Traditional hierarchies tend to revolve around this narrative of broad, holistic and strategic perspectives at the top and focused (at times siloed) views lower down the hierarchy creating naturally divergent perspectives on the organisation, making it difficult to align vision with action.

This lack of agility is one of the main reasons why companies struggle to adapt to change. Many businesses are built on these hierarchical structures that are resistant to change. Executives often have a vision for where they want the company to go, but they struggle to translate that vision into action because they are constrained by the company's existing culture, processes, and systems. This can create a sense of inertia, making it difficult to introduce new ideas and implement change.

This is especially true when executives develop transformation strategies that are not aligned with the needs and concerns of employees, leading to resistance and a lack of buy-in. Employees, in turn, may feel disengaged from the transformation process, leading to lower morale and decreased productivity.

At its core, the “transformation divide” can be attributed to a lack of communication and collaboration. Executives may have a clear vision for change, but if they don't communicate that vision effectively to employees, it inevitably leads to a lack of alignment and divergent views of business transformation resulting in confusion and resistance. Top-down approaches to change that fail to take into account the views and opinions of employees who are closest to the day-to-day operations of the business can lead to a sense of disengagement and a lack of ownership among employees, who don't understand why changes are being made or who feel that their concerns are not being heard. This makes them less likely to support the transformation process, which can impact the success of transformation projects.

How divergent views of transformation can lead to failure

Transformation refers to a fundamental change in an organisation's strategy, structure, culture, and operations to adapt to new challenges or opportunities. However, as we touched on earlier, divergent views of transformation can lead to failure if there is no alignment between different stakeholders' expectations and goals.

To avoid the transformation divide, executives need to take a more bottom-up approach to change, soliciting feedback from employees and involving them in the transformation process. They also need to invest in the resources needed to implement change effectively, including new technologies, processes, and training.

Establishing a PMO (Project Management Office) and investing in the necessary talent, expertise and resources is critical to the success of business transformation efforts. Without the proper structures and resources in place, divergent views can quickly lead to transformation failure in the following ways:

Lack of Clarity: If there is no clear understanding of what transformation means for the organisation, different stakeholders may have different interpretations, leading to confusion, resistance, and misalignment.

Resistance: Divergent views on transformation can create resistance from stakeholders who may not agree with the proposed changes. This can manifest as a lack of buy-in, non-compliance, or even active opposition, making it challenging to implement the transformation successfully.

Lack of Resources: Transformation often requires significant investments in time, money, and other resources. If different stakeholders have different views on the importance of the transformation, it may lead to insufficient allocation of resources, leading to a lack of progress or even failure.

Misalignment of Goals: Transformation requires a shared vision of the desired outcomes, but divergent views can lead to the misalignment of goals. For example, if one group of stakeholders sees transformation as an opportunity to cut costs, while another sees it as a way to increase revenue, it may lead to conflicting priorities and ultimately failure.

Lack of Coordination: Transformation involves multiple stakeholders, and divergent views can create a lack of coordination between different teams, departments, or functions. This can lead to duplicative efforts, conflicting strategies, and a lack of progress.

Therefore, it is essential organisations have structured channels through which to align different stakeholders' views and goals before embarking on a transformation journey. This can involve clear communication, shared understanding, and active engagement of all relevant parties. It's also critical to establish a clear plan of action with well-defined objectives, timelines, and resource allocations to ensure that everyone is working towards the same end goal.

The importance of transformation in modern business

The pace of change in the business world is accelerating, driven by technological advancements, globalisation, and changing customer expectations. Businesses that fail to adapt to these changes risk falling behind their competitors.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of agility and the role of business transformation in helping organisations innovate and develop new products, services, and business models to cater to rapidly evolving customer needs, helping them stay ahead of the competition.

More recently, increased risk from a notable uptick in large-scale cyber-attacks is forcing organisations to better manage risk by identifying potential threats and developing strategies to mitigate them through technological and business transformation programs focused on improved cyber security and regulatory compliance.

Far from being a competitive tool, business transformation is critical to the survival of businesses operating in a rapidly evolving economic and technologically-driven environment. So how can business leaders address the transformation divide?

Bridging the gap

To overcome the transformation divide, it's important for executives to recognise the need to communicate effectively with employees and involve them in the planning and decision-making process around business transformation initiatives. This can help ensure that employees have a stake in the success of the change and are more likely to be supportive and engaged. By bridging the transformation divide, organisations can increase their chances of success and create a more dynamic and agile work environment that is attractive to top talent.

Business leaders must understand how their perspective on business transformation differs from that of employees and adapt their communication and collaboration strategies accordingly. In doing so, business leaders should acknowledge the following:

Different priorities: Executives may have a broader perspective on the company's overall priorities, while employees may be more focused on their individual goals and objectives. This can lead to differences in how executives and employees view the importance and urgency of business change.

Different access to information: Executives may have access to more information about the company's financial performance, market trends, and competitive landscape, which can influence their perspective on the need for business change. Employees may have a more limited view of the company's overall performance and may not fully understand the need for change.

Different incentives: Executives may be incentivised based on the company's overall financial performance or the success of specific initiatives, while employees may be incentivised based on individual performance metrics. This can lead to differences in how executives and employees view the potential benefits and risks of business change.

Different levels of involvement: Executives may be more involved in the planning and decision-making process around business change, while employees may be more involved in the implementation of the change. This can lead to differences in how executives and employees view the feasibility and impact of the change.

The transformation divide continues to be a major challenge and barrier to business transformation success. As many organisations look to business transformation as a way to identify inefficiencies and streamline processes, leading to increased efficiency and productivity, without first proactively taking steps to address the transformation divide, it becomes increasingly unlikely for organisations to achieve cost savings, improved profitability, and a better customer experience.

According to recent research, 50% of employees think their organisation is mediocre or worse in providing clear leadership, keeping employees informed of change, addressing questions, asking for feedback, helping employees understand the impact of planned changes and providing training resources and support. In contrast, 70% of C-suite Executives say their organisations do extremely well or pretty well in these areas. 38% of the rest of the organisation agrees.

By prioritising communication, collaboration, and investment in resources, companies can overcome this divide and adapt to change more effectively. Doing so will not only help ensure the success of transformation projects but also attract and retain top talent in a rapidly changing business landscape.

One example of divergent views of transformation leading to failure is the case of Kodak, a company that once dominated the photography industry but failed to adapt to the digital revolution.

In the early 2000s, Kodak had a diverse range of businesses, including traditional film photography, digital cameras, and inkjet printers. However, the company's leadership had divergent views on the future of the industry and the company's transformation.

Some executives believed that digital photography would ultimately replace film photography and that Kodak should focus on developing digital cameras and other digital products. Others, including the CEO at the time, believed that digital photography would not replace traditional film and that Kodak should continue to invest in film photography and related products.

As a result of these divergent views, Kodak's efforts to transform the company were not focused, strategic, or successful. The company invested heavily in digital cameras, printers, and related products, but failed to make a significant impact in these markets. At the same time, Kodak neglected to invest in digital imaging technology and missed out on opportunities to develop and market digital cameras and other digital products.

Ultimately, Kodak's failure to adapt to the digital revolution led to the company's decline and bankruptcy in 2012. The company's leadership had divergent views on the future of the industry and the company's transformation, leading to a lack of strategic focus, misallocation of resources, and ultimately failure to adapt to changing market dynamics.

The Kodak case demonstrates the importance of having a shared vision and alignment of goals and strategies when embarking on business transformation. Without a clear understanding of the direction and purpose of the transformation, companies may struggle to adapt to changing market dynamics and may ultimately fail to survive.

The importance of a shared vision

A shared vision is essential for business transformation because it provides a common understanding and direction for all stakeholders involved in the transformation. Business transformation typically involves significant changes to an organisation's strategy, processes, culture, and technology. Without a shared vision, different stakeholders may have different interpretations of what the transformation entails, leading to confusion, conflict, and ultimately failure.

By working to establish a company-wide, shared vision of current and future business transformation programs, technology leaders can align all stakeholders around a common purpose, direction, and set of goals. It ensures that everyone involved in the transformation understands the big picture, their role in achieving the transformation, and the benefits of doing so. Establishing a shared vision also creates a sense of ownership, belonging, and purpose among stakeholders, leading to increased motivation and engagement. When people understand the value of the transformation and feel that they are part of the journey, they are more likely to commit to it and work towards its success.

Without a framework for decision-making that a shared vision helps facilitate during the transformation, it can be challenging for stakeholders to make consistent, informed, and strategic decisions that align with the overall objectives of the transformation. This enables effective communication. When everyone is working towards a common goal, communication is more streamlined, focused, and productive. It also ensures that everyone has access to the same information and understands how their work contributes to the overall transformation.

Having a shared vision increases the likelihood of success for the transformation. It provides clarity, focus, and direction, and ensures that all stakeholders are pulling in the same direction. It reduces the likely hood of a “transformational divide” by limiting the potential for divergent thinking and helps to mitigate risks, resolve conflicts, and address challenges that may arise during the transformation.

ChatGPT: the new tool in business transformation?

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 08:10:15 GMT

Business transformation and process automation have become an everyday topic of conversation in even the smallest organisations. But one buzzword piercing through all the noise more than any other is ChatGPT.

ChatBots aren't new—in fact, they've been around for decades. The first chatbot was developed in 1966. Since then, technology has made a lot of progress.

So much so, that we decided to test the potential of this technology by using ChatGPT to write this blog post.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI and research company. The company launched ChatGPT on Nov. 30, 2022. Within its first five days after launching ChatGPT had more than 1 million users.

How does ChatGPT work?

ChatGPT runs on an artificial intelligence language model architecture, created by OpenAI called the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), specifically GPT-3. These types of artificial intelligence models are trained on vast amounts of information from the internet and learn to generate sentences based on the information available online, such as websites, books, news articles and more.

What makes ChatGPT unique is that it uses a combination of supervised learning and reinforcement learning. The use of Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) makes it possible for ChatGPT to learn from human feedback. Through RLHF, human AI trainers provided the model with conversations in which human users played both parts--the user and the assistant--according to OpenAI.

How are organisations using ChatGPT?

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, ChatBots have been used to help businesses reach out to their customers, provide information about products, and even sell products directly from their website.

Digital disruption is reshaping industries and creating new opportunities for businesses that can leverage technology to create innovative products and services. Increasingly, digital transformation has become the battleground upon which organisations seek to stay competitive in today's rapidly changing business environment.

In the new digital era, customers have higher expectations when it comes to digital experiences, and businesses that fail to deliver can quickly fall behind. Digital transformation allows businesses to meet customer expectations by providing seamless, convenient, and personalised experiences across all channels.

ChatGPT bridges the gap between internal human resources and external artificial intelligence, enriching human capabilities. It is the bringing together of 2 vastly different elements to form an entirely new kind of interaction. By combining humans and artificial intelligence this way, ChatGPT empowers organisations with a new way of doing business. The ability to streamline operations, automate processes, and improve collaboration are key differentiators in the digital arena.

ChatGPT is a powerful tool that demonstrates the potential to help organisations increase efficiency, agility, and responsiveness, enabling them to adapt quickly to changing customer expectations, and market conditions, staying ahead of the competition. Here are some of the ways in which ChatGPT can be used to transform business:

Customer service: One way that organisations are using ChatGPT is by building chatbots powered by the language model. These chatbots can help automate customer service and support, answering customer queries, and providing assistance around the clock. Chatbots can also be used to streamline internal processes, such as employee onboarding and training.

Marketing: ChatGPT can provide personalised marketing experiences to each user by analysing their interests, preferences, and past behaviour. Since it’s available 24/7, providing assistance and answering questions even when businesses are closed offers organisations the ability to enhance the customer experience and satisfaction globally across all time zones.

Not only that, ChatGPT can collect and analyse data on customer interactions, which can help businesses better understand customer behaviour and preferences, thereby optimising marketing strategies accordingly. Lastly, ChatGPT can help marketing teams generate leads by engaging with users and qualifying them based on their interests and needs. These activities can reduce the need for human interaction, reducing marketing costs by automating repetitive tasks.

Decision Support: ChatGPT can also be used to support decision-making in organisations. ChatGPT can generate complex query strings to aid data mining, helping users find key data points quickly and effortlessly. By analysing data and providing insights and recommendations, the language model can help staff and even business leaders make better-informed decisions. For example, ChatGPT could be used to analyse customer feedback data and suggest improvements to product or service offerings.

Personalisation: ChatGPT can also be used to provide personalised experiences to customers. By analysing customer data and interactions, ChatGPT can provide tailored recommendations and suggestions. This can help improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.

Knowledge Management: ChatGPT can also be used as a knowledge management tool. Organisations can use the language model to automatically categorise and tag documents and other content, making it easier to find and access information. ChatGPT can also be used to answer employee queries, providing quick and accurate responses to common questions. For example, as part of the change management process, ChatGPT can be used to provide training to employees by answering questions and providing guidance on new or updated company policies and procedures. In a traditional enterprise, where knowledge workers often can’t easily locate the latest data from within their own line of business, Chat GPT could be useful in helping to break down data barriers between organisational silos, yet this remains one of AI’s greatest challenges.

Product development: ChatGPT can also help organisations improve product development by providing insights into customer needs and preferences. This can help organisations develop more innovative and customer-centric products.

Is ChatGPT a good thing for business transformation?

As an AI language model, ChatGPT doesn't have a moral compass. As a tool created to assist people in various ways automating repetitive tasks and providing information its impact is largely down to the way in which it is used and how people choose to interact with it. Like all emerging or transformative technologies, it is almost impossible to predict where the AI revolution will lead. This should not stop organisations from considering the possibilities of how they can leverage AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Digital transformation is critical for businesses that want to remain competitive and relevant in today's digital age. It enables businesses to meet changing customer expectations, improve efficiency and agility, make data-driven decisions, and drive innovation and disruption.

ChatGPT is an advanced chatbot that has the potential to make people's lives easier and to assist with everyday tedious tasks, such as writing an email or having to navigate the web for answers. However, there are certain technical details that have to be figured out before it's widely used, to prevent negative outcomes such as the spread of misinformation. In general, AI and ML models rely on lots of training and fine-tuning to reach a level of ideal performance.

Business Transformation: Why human connection will be more critical than ever in 2023

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:06:34 GMT

As we look towards the future, it's clear that technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in our lives. This is particularly true for digital and business transformations, which are often seen as technical challenges, requiring a deep understanding of technology and data. However, they also represent significant cultural shifts, which can be disruptive and challenging for employees and stakeholders. But amidst all of these changes, there's one thing that will remain just as important as ever: human connection.

Despite the many benefits that technology can offer us, there's no denying that it can sometimes be isolating. We're all familiar with the experience of spending hours staring at a screen and communicating with colleagues and clients through email or instant messaging. And while video calls and collaboration platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams have helped us stay connected during the pandemic, they don't fully replicate the experience of being in the same physical space as others.

In fact, recent studies have shown that remote workers can experience feelings of loneliness and disconnection, which can lead to decreased productivity and even mental health issues.

And while it's certainly true that technology can help bridge the gap between people who are physically separated, it's not a perfect substitute for the kind of human connection that comes naturally when we're in the same room together.

In these contexts, human connection becomes especially important for several reasons.

So why is human connection so important, especially in the world of digital transformation?

Let's take a closer look at some of the reasons why.

Change Management

First of all, it's worth noting that IT is a highly collaborative field. Whether you're developing software, managing a network, or providing tech support to end-users, you're likely working closely with a team of colleagues to achieve your goals. And while technology can certainly facilitate that collaboration, it can't replace the trust and rapport that come from spending time together in person.

Human connection is essential when collaborating for impact in business transformation initiatives because it enables individuals to work together towards a common goal with greater efficiency, creativity, and effectiveness. When people feel connected, they are more likely to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly and honestly, which leads to better collaboration and problem-solving. This is particularly important in business transformation initiatives, where different perspectives and skills are required to navigate complex challenges.

Successful business transformation is dependent on significant buy-in and participation from employees across the organisation. A critical component of any transformation effort is Change Management, and without the support of the people who will be affected by the changes, these initiatives are unlikely to succeed. Human connection plays a vital role in this process. When you're working alongside others in the same physical space, you're more likely to build a sense of camaraderie and mutual understanding. You might share jokes or stories during breaks, or collaborate more effectively on projects because you have a better sense of each other's strengths and weaknesses. All of these factors contribute to a sense of teamwork and shared purpose that can be hard to replicate online.

By prioritising human connection, IT leaders and managers can help to build trust and rapport with employees, creating an environment in which people feel comfortable sharing their concerns, ideas, and feedback. This can help to create a sense of ownership and investment in the transformation process, leading to more meaningful and sustained change.

But it's not just about collaboration and productivity. Human connection is also important for personal well-being. As social creatures, we need interaction and connection with others in order to thrive. When we're feeling isolated or disconnected, it can lead to negative emotions like anxiety, depression, and even physical health issues.

That's why it's so important for IT professionals to prioritise human connection, both within their teams and with others in their professional network. By taking the time to connect with colleagues and industry peers, whether through social events, mentorship programs, or online communities, you can build relationships that will support you both professionally and personally.

Of course, it's not always easy to prioritise human connection in a world where technology dominates so much of our work and personal lives. But there are some steps that individuals and organisations can take to make it a priority.

For example, companies can prioritise team-building events that bring remote and in-person workers together, or encourage socialising and connection during work hours. Individuals can make a point of attending industry events, joining online communities, or even just taking breaks during the workday to chat with colleagues.

Collaboration for Impact

Second, transformation initiatives often involve significant process and workflow changes, which can be disruptive to employees' daily routines. In these situations, human connection can help to mitigate the disruption and ease the transition. For example, by providing regular training and support, leaders can help employees to build the skills and knowledge necessary to adapt to the new workflows. By actively encouraging collaboration, and communicating clearly and transparently about the changes, IT leaders and Change Managers can help to reduce anxiety and uncertainty and create a sense of shared purpose and understanding.

In these contexts, human connection can help to break down silos and build bridges between different teams and stakeholders. By creating opportunities for employees to connect and collaborate, whether through team-building exercises, cross-functional projects, or informal social events, leaders can help to create a culture of collaboration and cooperation. This can lead to more effective and efficient work processes, as well as more innovative and creative problem-solving.

It is worth noting that the future of work is likely to be more flexible and remote than ever before. As companies adapt to changing market conditions and worker preferences, we're likely to see more and more IT professionals working from home or from co-working spaces. While this can certainly offer many benefits, it also presents new challenges when it comes to building human connections. That's why it's important to be intentional about connecting with others, whether through virtual events, video calls, or other online tools.

Community First

Finally, transformation initiatives often involve significant risk and uncertainty, as organisations navigate new technologies, business models, and customer needs. Human connection can help employees build resilience and adaptability so that they are able to weather setbacks during these initiatives. Ultimately, the key message is this: community is king. While technology can certainly help us stay connected and productive, it's not a substitute for the kind of community that comes from being in the same physical space as others. Whether you're working in IT or any other field, the relationships and connections you build with others are crucial for your professional success and personal well-being.

So, as we move forward into 2023 and beyond, let's make a commitment to prioritise human connection in all aspects of our lives. Let's find ways to connect with others, even when we're physically apart, and let's make sure that we're building communities that support us both professionally and personally. By doing so, we can ensure that technology continues to serve as a tool for connection and collaboration, rather than a barrier to human connection. After all, in a world that's becoming increasingly digitised and automated, it's the human connections we make that truly set us apart.

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Business Transformation: 7 Cloud Migration Pitfalls To Avoid

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:04:10 GMT

Cloud computing has revolutionised the way organisations in Australia operate by replacing traditional data centres with cloud-based services. The cloud allows organisations a range of benefits such as agility, flexibility, self-service provisioning, redundancy, scalability, and more. All of which can make a significant difference for many Australian enterprises by helping them achieve operational efficiency and optimised resource utilisation.

In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2025, IT spending on public cloud computing will overtake spending on traditional IT. It added that 65.9% of spending on application software will be directed toward cloud technologies, up from 57.7% in 2022.

For forward-thinking CIOs, cloud technologies are the future. Cloud migration is an opportunity for organisations to develop and implement a future-forward plan, but it can be a complex process. Management, technology and staff realignment are all factors that need to be considered when migrating to the cloud.

Many factors influence the success of cloud migration projects, including security risks and people, process and technology alignment. However, the misconceptions, myths and biases that creep into the boardroom from the media, analysts and vendors who certainly shape our perceptions about what it takes to move to the cloud are a particularly potent determinant of whether or not a migration succeeds.

Myths such as; everything can be migrated to the cloud, or that their security concerns will be taken care of by their cloud provider and that cloud migration is a fast process with a one-size-fits-all “multi-cloud” model for different types of organisations can undermine the decision-making process. This creates challenges for CIOs, especially when selecting a cloud environment and management platform, which can lead to implications down the track where organisations find themselves trying shoe-horn enterprise-wide cloud adoption to fit broader or shifting needs.

Cloud migrations can encounter the same issues as any other project, including risks that must be considered before starting a cloud migration. The impact of these mistakes may override the benefits offered by cloud migration.

A cloud migration survey by Sungard Availability Services noted that 56% (of respondents) named a lack of understanding of cloud security and compliance best practices as a major challenge. About 55% acknowledged the lack of a clearly defined business case for the migration while 44% pleaded guilty to insufficient planning. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

Insufficient Leadership Alignment

Achieving leadership alignment in cloud migration is a critical success factor for any organisation wanting to make the transition to the cloud. A recent Accenture survey of IT leaders identified three key barriers to cloud migration: lack of executive support, lack of resources and time, and lack of knowledge about what is involved in cloud migration.

It is important for an organisation’s leaders to understand these barriers and work together with their teams on a plan that addresses each issue. CIOs need to ensure they provide the board with critical insights, facts and data so it can leverage its business and strategic experience to guide leadership teams as they think through how the cloud can drive business outcomes.

Given cloud computing has entered the mainstream of enterprise data storage, and forward-thinking boards are beginning to incorporate it into their risk-assessment frameworks, for those that still need convincing, one way CIOs can help align the board and executive team is by updating security training as part of the effort to unlock the advantages of cloud computing whilst mitigating security risks.

Lack of Knowledge

Myths aside, a lack of knowledge about cloud migration can lead to mistakes in the process. CIOs should work closely with the business to understand what it wants to achieve through cloud adoption and how the cloud can help it get there.

With a clear set of migration goals defined, it is important to understand that not all business elements can be migrated. Hence, organisations need to follow a logical process and consider the following steps.

Clarify the business migration goals and organisational-wide needs.
Identify the elements that can be migrated.
Take a stock of the elements that will be migrated. Check their interdependence on other aspects of the business.
Assess the impact of migration of the specific elements.
Develop a roadmap for the migration of the specified elements.
Rearchitect the systems to leverage the benefits offered by cloud services.
Choose the best cloud service for the organisation based on its features and costs.

Businesses have options of different cloud services to choose from, such as:

Public cloud
Private cloud
Hybrid cloud
Multi-cloud

Although the process seems straightforward, the impact of making mistakes here may override the benefits offered by cloud migration. It is critical that CIOs qualify external parties to support cloud migration. Even within the same technology category, not all offerings are equal. The cloud community’s open approach to developing solutions has enabled a proliferation of good, better, and best technologies in the market. The challenge for the CIOs is to determine which approach and vendor partners will best meet their requirements.

Selecting the wrong approach

Migration is an umbrella term for the various paths to achieving a particular goal. However, not all businesses take the time to research their options, which can result in costly inefficiencies.

McKinsey warns that missteps in coordinating the migration are taking a toll. Those inefficiencies are costing the average company 14% more in migration spending than planned each year, and 38% of companies have seen their migrations delayed by more than one quarter.

The lift and shift approach, app modernisation, and refactoring are all popular methods of moving your business to the cloud. Each has its own pros and cons when it comes to migrating your processes to a new platform.

Many businesses opt for the lift and shift approach when migrating to a new environment since it tends to be the fastest and least disruptive model (at least in theory). Involving porting an application or operation over from one environment to another without redesigning or restructuring, can be an inexpensive way of migrating systems, but it is not without drawbacks.

It’s critical that CIOs do due diligence to look at what their operational costs will be after the migration to avoid issues that might undermine its effectiveness both operationally and economically.

Managing Security and Compliance

Cloud computing automatically exposes organisations to cybersecurity risks. These risks have been a concern since the technology was introduced, and they remain so today. Approximately 66% of IT professionals consider security to be a major challenge to cloud adoption.

As the cloud becomes more complex, it will be even more important for IT leaders to keep these risks in mind. In 2023, CIOs involved in cloud migration efforts need to be aware of the growing threat of cyber attacks that target misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in running workloads.

By 2023, experts predict malicious actors will look for further initial access targets such as attacks via cloud infrastructure or cloud service providers. Organisations will need to think beyond conventional security measures to avoid increasing efforts from attackers focused on compromising cloud service and hosting accounts in order to find their way into corporate environments.

Insufficient Testing

Testing is an essential step toward cloud migration success. However, many companies neglect to test until their apps and infrastructure have already been moved to the new cloud environment, more often than not this is symptomatic of trying to work towards unrealistic timelines – which is a recipe for disaster.

Rather than approaching cloud migration as a quick win initiative (as we saw during the pandemic), but as a planned strategy to add tangible benefits to your organisation. The same level of planning, attention, due diligence, and testing is required for migration as it would be if you were building a new architecture.

Therefore, testing should be an integral part of your migration plan, with sufficient time for testing factored into the timeline. The more you test early on, the easier it will be to spot any potential problems and smooth out the process later.

Maintaining Cost Control

Without a cost control system in place, cloud-related costs can quickly spiral out of control. This is especially true when departments outside of IT weigh in on cloud spending; their changes and adjustments can add to an organisation's overall cloud budget.

An essential step in the process of defining how costs will be managed during a cloud migration hinges on a deep understanding of the interdepartmental applications, data and processes that will be moved to the cloud. Working through these inter-dependencies, can help IT leaders keep a firm grip on the project scope. As with any enterprise-wide implementation, scope creep is common .

Whilst this can make your project more expensive, time-consuming and complex. One of the biggest challenges in a project is limiting change requests. Making changes to a project once it has started can be very expensive, time-consuming and complex.

To avoid this issue, consider creating a cloud governance program. Such programs are helpful in establishing protocols that dictate how your team will manage the project and the types of limits that will be put in place to ensure costs do not rise unnecessarily.

CIOs should include procedures in their plan to limit these requests as much as possible as the project progresses by ensuring the migration meets the business's needs during the planning phase.

The human element

Like any other business transformation, cloud migration is a transformative process. It can totally revolutionise the way a business creates products, delivers services, or connects with customers. But in order for these changes to occur, people as well as processes need to adapt.

The process of managing change in the cloud is complex. Enterprise-wide changes can affect how almost every function of the business works, so strategic and careful consideration of core change management concepts – such as identifying stakeholders, change impacts, executive sponsors, change champions, and aligning on a strategy – is paramount for a successful execution down the road.

CIOs should seek to establish a network of change champions who can help cascade messaging and exponentially increase the number of employees reached, but also serve as an integral feedback channel throughout the project.

Jobs roles can often change during cloud migration initiatives, this can lead to a loss of expertise that is not properly managed through clear communication and training plans.

LinkedIn rates cloud computing as the most sought-after tech skill , along with artificial intelligence and big data. In addition, a report by Gartner found that talent shortages are a significant challenge for the successful adoption of emerging technologies like cloud computing. For example, 64% of survey respondents reported that skilled worker availability is the largest challenge, compared to 4% in 2020 and 14% in 2019.

Therefore, it is essential that boards and executives include a skills gap analysis before embarking on planned cloud migration programs. Ensuring the business retains employees with relevant cloud expertise whilst supplementing knowledge and skills gaps through proactive hiring in the early stages is an essential step in securing cloud migration success.

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The Secret Behind Successful Transformation? Simpler Than You Think.

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:40:40 GMT

Transforming a company is no easy feat.

It takes careful planning, execution, and, most importantly, buy-in from employees. According to McKinsey Global , the more a company takes transformation actions, the greater its chances of success.

Unfortunately, success remains to be the exception, not the rule. For decades, we’ve known that a comprehensive approach to organisational transformation is more beneficial to lasting change, yet the success rate continues to be persistently low.

To put numbers to it, an analysis of 128 companies that had undergone transformation between 2016 and 2020 reveals that 78% of companies fail to transform their organisations. Worse yet, that’s higher than John Kotter’s assertion over 25 years ago that 70% of corporate transformation efforts are doomed to fail.

First, let’s define this latest buzzword so we’re on the same page, then we’ll dive into how you can make sure you’re in the 22% that get it right.

What is Business Transformation?

Business transformation is a change in how an organisation functions. This could manifest in changes to the company’s strategy, structure, processes, people, or culture. A company may decide to go through a corporate transformation for various reasons, including the desire to:

Increase profitability
Enter new markets
Address disruption changes in the industry
Keep up with the competition
Respond to changing customer demands

Factors to a Successful Transformation

Going back to the analysis of 128 global companies conducted by three organisations (Copperfield Advisory, Insider, and Revolution Insight Group), the analysis showed that companies that succeeded made their employees the focus, driving change from the bottom up. This people-centred approach has several benefits, including:

Increased diversity and inclusion
Support for women’s managerial careers
Access to healthcare

Diversity and inclusion are critical to success in the 21st-century workplace. For example, a recent study by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.

Similarly, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Yet, despite the clear business case for diversity, many companies struggle to create inclusive environments.

One reason is that traditional management practices often favour those who are “like us.” In other words, we tend to gravitate toward people who share our backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Unfortunately, this can lead to homogeneous teams that lack the creativity and innovation needed to succeed in today’s rapidly changing world.

When it comes to supporting women’s managerial careers, companies often face a similar challenge. Women are typically underrepresented in leadership positions , which can be traced back to several factors, including unconscious bias and the “old boys’ club” mentality.

Fortunately, there are numerous things that companies can do to create more diverse and inclusive environments. For example, they can implement policies and programmes that promote diversity and inclusion, such as the following:

Unconscious bias training
Flexible work arrangements
Mentorship programmes

Companies can also make a concerted effort to hire and retain employees from underrepresented groups.

When it comes to healthcare, employees often have different needs and preferences. For example, some prefer on-site clinics, while others prefer telehealth services. As such, companies need to offer various options so employees can find care that best suits their needs.

Common Attributes of the 28 Successful Transformers

In the study, out of the 128 companies that attempted to transform their organisation, only 28 succeeded. From that, the study found six common attributes among the successful transformers that separate them from the unsuccessful onesーmost of which are related to employee compensation and diversity and inclusion.

Employee Pay: Employees were receiving higher compensation compared to other companies of a similar size.
Employee Stock Options: Employees have more stock options compared to companies of a similar size.
Employee Satisfaction: Employees experience higher satisfaction with their job and roles at the company.
Diversity and Inclusivity: Companies hire employees with equity as their goal.
Women Managers: There are more women in managerial positions at these companies.
Women Employees: Women are not underrepresented and make up a higher share of employees at these companies.

Companies Transforming Their Business the Right Away

Being successful in transforming an organisation is not easy. Yet, despite the odds, three companies have succeeded in achieving both reputational and financial success. And it’s worth understanding what got them to where they are today, so you can emulate their success.

1. Microsoft

Microsoft is a leading technology company that develops, manufactures, and sells various software products and services. The company has successfully transformed itself from a traditional software company to a cloud-based services company.

In recent years, Microsoft has made a concerted effort to diversify its workforce and create an inclusive environment. As of 2021, women in its global workforce are 27.1% managers, 22% directors, and 21% partners and executives.

When it comes to employees, Microsoft commits to a growth mindset, which is to use technology to put people first. As a result, they found a more engaged workforce where 95% of employees feel proud to work at Microsoft, and 92% of employees would recommend Microsoft as a great place to work.

2. Netflix

Another one of the biggest transformation stories of the past decade belongs to Netflix. What started as a DVD rental service quickly became an online streaming service that offers users a wide variety of TV shows and movies. In order to keep up with the competition, Netflix has had to continuously adapt and innovate.

For Netflix to continue dominating the online streaming services, they ensured they could develop and retain great talents. One way they do this is by ensuring their employees have positive financial health. Netflix offers competitive salaries to employees by up to 50% higher than its competitors .

More than that, Netflix also offers 10-year stock options that are fully vested and which employees can keep even if they leave the company. In doing so, Netflix was able to attract and retain top talents while maintaining the company’s financial success.

3. Hershey

Did you know Hershey had their first woman CEO, Michele Buck in 2017? This was groundbreaking for the company’s then 123-year history. When she took the lead, the organisation grabbed an opportunity to diversify its snack portfolio and advance the company’s approach to diversity and inclusion. Since then, the company’s market cap has grown from $23.93 billion to $46.72 billion today.

In 2021, Forbes recognised Hershey as the Top-Female Friendly Company . A reason for this is that the company achieved pay equity within its U.S. workforce, where women and people of colour receive the same salary as their white male colleagues in similar positions.

What’s more, Hershey also transformed gender diversity within its company achieving 48.1% gender diversity worldwide in 2020. With a woman CEO at the helm, it’s clear that Hershey prioritises diversity and inclusion in its workforceーa major factor that helped them succeed in business transformation.

People at the Heart of Successful Transformations

Simply put, how companies treat their employees is what sets apart successful company transformations from those that fail. Companies that focused on creating a positive work environment, where employees feel valued and appreciated through diversity & inclusion and competitive salaries, saw stronger reputations and greater financial returns than other organisations.

So, if you’re planning on undergoing a business transformation in your organisation, make sure to keep your employees’ best interests at heart. Only then will you be able to create a thriving business that can adapt and succeed in today’s ever-changing business landscape.

_Do you have the right employees to lead and transform your business to thrive?

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Five Ways to Lead Through Disruption

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 07:31:31 GMT

In a world of shifting economic landscapes, we must learn to lead through disruption. The number one threat to the corporate bottom line is seen as fluctuations in revenue based on disruptive technologies.

The only way to combat revenue disruption is proper leadership and innovation. Everyone knows the value of looking beyond the horizon and innovating, but a select few leaders are able to execute on that vision.

Leaders who can connect what may seem unrelated, integrate technology into today's business structures, and lead people through disruption by improving decision-making processes are the ones making gains during times of difficulty. Knowing how to change and improve business is what separates great leaders from the rest.

In this article we look at the 5 things leaders are doing to successfully lead and navigate through disruption.

Mobilise Purpose to Lead Change

Purpose is what motivates and inspires us to action. It's what makes us feel special. It's why we get up in the morning. Leaders can use their understanding of purpose to inspire others to change, but it's not just about leaders. It's about everyone in the organisation - from the top down and bottom up. When people understand their purpose, they become more engaged in their work. Leadership is a vital component to the success of any organisation. It's what sets apart the good from the great. Yet many leaders are ill-prepared for the challenges they face today.

The difficulties of leading through disruption are not new for business leaders. However, these challenges are becoming more acute as organisations face an increasingly competitive environment and a growing need to transform their operations to meet customer expectations and remain relevant in a digital economy. Leaders must adapt their skill sets and change their mindset in order to lead through disruption — a phenomenon that will only continue to grow as technology advances.

Define Your Purpose and Set Clear Goals

When it comes to putting together a strategy for leading through disruption, the first thing you need to do is define your purpose. Purpose is the reason you exist as an organisation and it drives your actions towards the desired outcome.

What is the outcome you want to achieve? What problem are you trying to solve? What purpose would make you feel satisfied with what you do?

Once you have defined your purpose, then you can start thinking about how you can use disruptive technologies to achieve that purpose.

When I say disruptive technology, I don’t mean just all the technological innovations that are happening around us – although those are important – but also the way people use technology, which has changed significantly over time due to the evolution of mobile devices and social media platforms.

Purpose-led Communications

In an era of digital disruption, there is no time for complacency. As a leader, you need to find ways to inspire your workforce and keep them engaged. One way to do this is through purpose-led communication.

Purpose-led communication is the ability to inspire employees by communicating the company's mission, vision and values. It's about more than just the product or service you provide; it's about what you stand for and how you want to change people's lives.

Encourage Innovation and Foster an Environment Where Mistakes are Okay

It's important for leaders to be comfortable making mistakes and failing so their teams feel like they can do the same without fear of punishment or shame. This is especially important if you're leading through a time of disruption because it's likely there will be mistakes made along the way.

If you don't foster this kind of culture, employees will be less likely to take risks or try new things because they don't want to mess up or get in trouble for failing at something that didn't work out as planned.

Focus Employees on Key Priorities

Leaders have a responsibility to keep their employees focused on key priorities. This means ensuring the right people are working on the right things. Don't let people run around looking for answers — give them clear direction and then let them execute.

Leaders must also understand what motivates their teams and then use that knowledge to motivate them. For example, if you know that your team needs recognition, then use your strategic communication to recognise them when they do well. If you know that employees are motivated by appreciation and positive feedback, then give it to them.

If you want people to be more innovative and creative, then encourage open communication and collaboration among teams. Actively facilitate avenues for them to suggest new ideas and give them the freedom to try them out.

The key is not just knowing what motivates people; it's also about knowing how best to communicate with each of your employees in order to engage them in their work.

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7 Ways to Create Positive Impact as a Company

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:29:02 GMT

As business leaders, many are increasingly focused on the need to create a positive impact within their industries. This focus has led to the rise of the term “corporate social responsibility” (CSR). CSR generally refers to the voluntary integration of social, ethical, and environmental concerns into a company’s business model and operations.

There is often confusion about what CSR actually entails and how it differs from traditional philanthropy and charitable giving. And so, in this article, we’ll explore 7 different ways that companies can create a positive impact, both within their organisations and in the wider world.

1. Invest in Employee Development

One of the best ways companies can create a positive impact is by investing in the development of their employees. Companies can do this in several different ways, such as:

Providing training and mentorship programmes
Offering flexible working arrangements
Supporting employees in their career progression

When employees feel that their company is invested in their development, they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work. This can lead to:

Improved productivity
Higher quality work
Reduced staff turnover All of these factors have a positive impact on the bottom line of a company.

2. Promote Diversity and Inclusion

Another way that companies can create a positive impact is by promoting diversity and inclusion within their organisation. Doing this means creating an environment where all employees feel respected and valued, regardless of their background or identity. When companies foster a culture of diversity and inclusion, they are more likely to attract and retain the best talent. They are also more likely to be innovative and creative, as employees from different backgrounds bring different perspectives to problem-solving. Inclusion can also help to build a better connection between a company and its customers, as employees will be more likely to understand and relate to the needs of diverse customer groups.

3. Support Local Communities

Many companies have a global reach, but they can also create a positive impact at a local level by supporting the communities in which they operate. You can increase your social impact in a number of different ways, such as:

Providing financial support to local organisations
Offering volunteering opportunities for employees
Collaborating with local businesses

When companies support local communities, they improve the lives of those who live and work there. This can have a knock-on effect of boosting the economy and making the area more attractive to live and work in which can benefit the company in the long run.

4. Be Environmentally Responsible

Another way is for companies to be environmentally responsible in their operations. You can do this by minimising the environmental impacts of your company’s activities, such as reducing the following:

Energy consumption
Waste production
Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Being environmentally responsible can help to protect the planet and reduce the company’s carbon footprint. It can also save money in the long run, as more efficient business operations will lead to reduced costs. Additionally, it can improve the company’s reputation, as consumers are increasingly interested in supporting environmentally friendly businesses.

5. Create a Core Impact Team

Many companies have CSR or sustainability teams, but these are often separate from the core business functions. A more effective way to create a positive impact is to integrate CSR into the core team so that it becomes everyone’s responsibility.

When creating an impact team, it’s essential to focus on the company’s core departments. These teams have the most transparent insights into where change is needed. It’s also necessary to develop an environment in the workplace where employees can openly share suggestions and concerns. Doing this ensures that the impact team effectively creates positive change.

By embedding CSR into the core team, it is more likely to be given the attention it deserves. It also sends a strong message to employees that the company is serious about creating a positive impact. Likewise, it can help align the company’s business goals with its social and environmental objectives.

6. Communicate Your Impact

It’s not enough to simply create a positive impactーyou also need to communicate your impact to employees, shareholders, and the wider public. Doing this helps ensure that everyone is aware of the company’s commitment to creating a positive impact and also provides an opportunity to showcase all the progress made.

When communicating your impact, it’s important to be:

Clear
Concise
Honest

Be sure to highlight both the successes and the challenges, as this will help build trust within your audience. Also, ensure that your communications are aligned with your company’s overall branding and messaging.

7. Measure Your Impact

Last but not least, it’s important to measure your impact so that you can see how effective your efforts have been. This will help you to identify what’s working well and what could be improved.

There are a number of different ways to measure impact, but some common metrics include:

Employee Engagement
Customer Satisfaction
Carbon Emissions
Waste Reduction

Whichever metrics you choose, be sure to set targets and track progress over time so that you can see how your company is performing.

Creating a Positive Impact Within Your Business and on the World

Corporate social responsibility is no longer a choice for businessesーit’s necessary. In today’s world, consumers and job seekers are increasingly interested in supporting communities that are making a positive impact and not just solely focusing on profits. And with the rise of social media, it’s easier than ever for businesses to be held accountable for their actions.

Creating a positive impact is, therefore, vital for any company that wants to be a force for good in the world and attract talent who are committed to more than just a paycheque. By following these 7 tips, you can ensure that your business positively impacts employees, customers, communities, and the environment.

Do you have the right employees to lead and implement a positive difference within your company?

Marlin Human Capital can help in looking for the right talent to lead your journey toward creating a positive impact. We broker pioneering executive and technology leadership appointments for organisations like your own.

Get in touch with us today to start building your impact team.

How to Compete in the New Era of Employee Engagement

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 07:15:42 GMT

As HR managers, many have spent the last decade trying to engage with employees with pizza parties, feedback forms, and other workplace incentives. But have we truly moved the needle?

What does employee engagement even mean and are the benchmarks credible enough to attract and retain top talent? And, more importantly, does engagement affect your bottom line?

These questions hold a lot of weight, especially as the various metrics and goals of employee engagement are distorted by many organisations. You get feedback forms back, try to develop new action plans—but nothing really changes. Data is quickly set aside, and you wait for next year’s results to do everything again.

There’s an utter lack of progress, and we are frustrated.

And yet, employee engagement will never lose its relevance. No matter what new terms we come up with, like job satisfaction or employee experience, there’ll always be a need to hear, support, value, empower, and connect with our employees for them to work harder and stick around longer.

How do we approach this new era of employee engagement? Let’s discuss how you can move the needle to create meaningful and lasting change—and improve your profits in the process.

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement is a fundamental concept where you try to understand the relationship between your company and its employees. The key things to remember are that employee engagement is that it’s:

The mental and emotional connection one feels toward your company
Measurable if you keep a pulse on your employee’s perceptions over time
Directly related to their productivity and commitment to your company
More important to your employee than competitive salary and benefits
Everyone’s responsibility—not just the HR team’s

The truth is that employee engagement is the backbone of a company, where all the human elements of your company come together. From upper management to entry-level jobs, engagement is what attracts, retains, and empowers them for your company’s benefit. And to truly cultivate employee engagement, you need a new approach to communication, one that focuses on the personal connection with employees.

Utilising Your Powerful Data

So, when it comes to the data, how do you collect it? Some organisations give out simple feedback forms to their employees, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their company, and decide to work on a few areas. While that's a good place to start, if your goal is to truly move the needle, you’ll have to do much more than that.

Here are our tips on how to conduct an effective, powerful survey analysis:

Focus on the lowest-rated survey results. Sort them by favorability and identify where your company is performing the worst to help point your resources and time.

Focus on reviewing the results with significant year-on-year decline. Once you have a few years of data already, determine which areas have improved or worsened.

Focus on where the team’s results are lower than the organisation’s. In other words, you want to check which departments or teams have gaps that you need to address.

Then, take it a step further by approaching your data with more analysis. This includes conducting identifying the data drivers and segmenting strategically:

Identify the data drivers—the actionable survey questions as opposed to diagnosing based on mere outcomes. In a way, it’s focusing on the root causes rather than taking passive actions. These drivers will vary in impact across different groups and years, but they’re all levers to push the so-called needle towards improvement.

Be creative and strategic with segmenting your data , as every employee will experience the company differently. They come from different locations, departments, and work under different managers as well. You have to dig deeper, aggregate the results, and segment your results in a way that makes sense to your organisation.

You’ll then be left with valuable, meaningful insights so that you can proceed to make actionable plans. Remember to take advantage of your strengths, and have follow-ups to all the weaknesses you plan to tackle. The more tailored and targeted your plan is, the more impactful the outcomes will be.

Truly Moving the Needle

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. This is the whole premise to the “new era” of employee engagement. Realise that it’s not a mere survey project for your HR team to conduct annually, but an ongoing initiative that your entire organisation has to address all year long.

To quote American author and business consultant, Ken Blanchard, you need to: “Connect the dots between individual roles and the goals of the organisation. When people see that connection, they get a lot of energy out of work. They feel the importance, dignity and meaning in their job.”

Here’s how to take your employee engagement to the next level:

Communicate the results. Your managers will be anxious to know what they have to do, and your employees will be eager to hear if their stories are heard. Let them know that their voice was heard, and you’re allowing them to give more solutions as well. Empower your managers to review and discuss the results with their team as well.

Choose areas of focus. This decision should be with the input of the entire organisation, as they’re the ones who’ll ultimately benefit from the outcomes. We suggest that you focus on three areas to start, and choose the ones that are high in impact, and low in effort.

Designate task forces to commitment plans. Now, it’s time to put action into words. Create task forces, assign them to projects, and keep them accountable. Ensure that you detail the work to be done—all with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Monitor progress and hold employees accountable. With everybody now moving, you have to encourage them by providing updates. And if there’s any team that needs a little nudging, hold additional meetings to follow up. Employees should continue to engage, managers should have access to the data they need, and you must gather their inputs regularly.

With these in place, you’ll be able to think broader and bigger about your organisation. Your employees are the baseline and bloodline of your company, so you need to think about:

Turnover

Understand why employees leave and what was the straw that broke the camel’s back. This will all feed into your understanding of the employee lifecycle, where you track a new hire’s entrance, staying, and exits—and how they all connect to overall engagement.

Performance

See how your managers are handling employee performance, and how they are talking about it with them. Steer away from the archaic performance review and replace them with authentic conversations that will encourage, uplift, and increase engagement.

Recognition

Employees are people, and people want to be praised for their good outputs. Employee recognition programs, where you award an employee’s contribution to the organisation’s success, can be a key driver to employee engagement. Ensure that the recognition is still tied to your company’s values to strengthen the employee’s commitment.

Alignment

You want your employees to see how their work contributes to the company’s achievements, or they’ll lose interest and disengage. One way to do this is to have a goal-tracking system for the employees to set, track, and complete meaningful goals that are aligned with the rest of the organisation.

Acquisition

Rethink your talent management. You should have a streamlined, collaborative system to track the best talents out there. Whether it’s someone who’s already in the company or someone new, you should be able to spot rising stars using credible metrics. Feedback

Surveys aren’t the only way you can get insights from employees. Get creative and have other strategies like peer-to-peer meetings or town hall Q&A sessions to have a stronger grasp of what your employees are feeling, thinking, and needing from the organization. This is the new era of employee engagement—an active effort to work with your employees. It’s a conscious management objective to engage with employees for overall business stability and success.

New Era of Employee Engagement, New Horizons for Company Success

In short, your goal is to gather information from your employees to direct your engagement strategy, recognise good performance to boost morale, create and monitor engagement goals, manage your talent pipeline, and nurture the relationship between the company and every single employee.

All the seemingly insignificant day-to-day employee experiences will sum up into one big conclusion, where your employee will think, “Yes. I love this company, and I will succeed alongside it.”

Do you have capable employees in your hands?

Marlin Human Capital can help you find and manage your employees to secure your company’s future. We broker pioneering executive and technology leadership appointments for organisations like your own.

Get in touch with us today to start building your high-performance team.

9 Tips For Getting a Turbulent Project Back on Track

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 07:08:59 GMT

Digital transformation is happening fast. Rapid technology adoption and multiple parallel projects can quickly become a complicated juggling act. It’s not uncommon to find a project has gone off the rails. It could be a tech failure, budget or scope change, or simply human error, either way, the reason your project is now in trouble doesn’t matter - how you fix it does.

Here are 9 tips to help get things back on track:

Keep an eye out for early warning signs

Getting on the front foot of potential issues before they turn into big, ugly problems can be a game changer. By creating an environment that fosters open communication, you can get regular status updates more easily and collaborate more effectively with your team to forecast their remaining work, factoring in any changes to the project plan so potential issues are identified quickly.

Find out what went wrong

If the proverbial does hit the fan, take the time to understand the root cause. Listen to your team without judgement, get their view and uncover the facts. When the going gets tough, these information-gathering exercises can quickly deteriorate into finger-pointing sessions - don’t let that happen. Instead, press for accurate information and ask for their ideas on a solution. Nobody wants to deliver bad news but being clear about needing all of the bad news right upfront - no matter how bad - will help you move past the issues quickly. Maintaining the engagement and commitment of your team is critical to the project’s success. Finally, share what you find so that future projects don’t suffer the same issues.

Review your resources.

Complex projects and short deadlines are a recipe for scheduling issues. Whilst it might seem obvious to throw extra bodies at a project, this doesn’t guarantee a great result. Instead, consider the following options to get your project back on track: Ensure the right people are assigned to the correct tasks. This might require delegation and re-allocation. See if you can spread portions of big tasks among a larger team so that more tasks can be worked on in parallel rather than serially. Identify team members who can be re-allocated to critical path activities. Focus on competency, not availability. Carefully assign resources with the appropriate experience and skills so they can be effective and successful.

Look for Solutions

Sometimes, you just need to go back to the beginning and review the project scope. Maybe ask yourself:

What options or planned activities can you discard straightaway?
Are there any activities or deliverables being added or priorities that could be dropped or scaled back without falling short of the original requirement? (A zero-tolerance approach to scope creep can often save the day).
Which option will have the best outcome at the lowest risk level?

Once you’ve decided on a solution, document it. This step is especially useful when solutions are complex. It helps you thoroughly think through the implications of your solution but be wary of sacrificing quality for expediency. Saving time can be a false economy. The work will still need to be done post-delivery usually at a greater cost.

Review work processes

Projects in free-fall often need a new, creative approach. Start by talking to your team. Let them help you identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, it’s likely there are things they want to do differently that will help solve problems. Together you can come up with a contingency plan and smarter ways to get the work done.

Can you get all of the players in the room(or virtual meeting room) to review the project, so ideas can be shared collectively and issues can be ironed out swiftly in one session.

Check your project dependencies.

In the early stages of planning, leaving some project activities loosely-defined can be advantageous. But it can be useful to review the project dependencies further down the project track, especially with more complex or time sensitive projects. Oftentimes, bottle-necks come from the client, so clearly reiterating what you need and when you need it can often be the most direct solution. Be explicit on what impact any delays will have on the delivery.

Use overtime as a last resort

It’s easy to turn to overtime when things get tough – but this should be a last resort. The truth about overtime is that it doesn’t always generate higher levels of productivity. Instead, people tend to pace themselves (either consciously or subconsciously) to the additional time. The result can often be a drop in productivity. Consider adding only a small amount of overtime to a draft schedule and test this. If it doesn’t work on paper, it’s unlikely to work in practice.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

A lot of best practices tend to go out the window when all-hands-to-the-pumps situations arise. Be vocal and visible to ensure everyone is clear on what’s expected of them. Roles and responsibilities can quickly become woolly when new actions are implemented or the plan changes quickly. Morale can also suffer when things go awry, especially if people feel they haven’t delivered—or, even if they have, people are often discouraged when they’re part of a potentially unsuccessful project. It’s just as important to acknowledge what is going well. Just remember to check your own behaviour - when times are tough it's crucial to lead by example.

Talk to your client

No Project Manager wants to talk to clients about a project in chaos but when things go wrong, it’s important to get a dialogue going and develop a workable plan. Work with them to understand what deliverables can be re-prioritised. Review the delivery schedule, or agreed-upon delivery phases, rather than overhauling the overall deadline. You never know—you might be able to extend the overall schedule but still, get your client the key deliverables when they need them.

Diversity & Inclusion In Tech

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:38:40 GMT

Diversity & Inclusion has been a hot topic since 2020. Black Lives Matter protests catapulted inequality into the light, compelling many organisations to reassess equity and diversity in their own organisations. For many industries, perceptions around diversity and inclusivity versus the realities are confronting, no more so than for the tech industry.

Diversity is critical in any modern workplace. Not only is it a key component of innovation, creating an environment of broader perspectives and divergent thinking enables organisations to create better, safer and more inclusive products and services. A 2020 report from McKinsey found companies with a more diverse talent pool perform better, have more engaged employees, have lower attrition rates and hire better talent than companies that do not prioritise diversity and inclusion.

In fact, DCA and University of Sydney Business School Inclusion@work Index 2021, found that employees who are part of diverse and inclusive teams are:

4 times less likely to leave their job in the next 12 months
10 times more likely to be very satisfied
4 times less likely to feel work has a negative or very negative impact on their mental health.
5 times less likely to experience discrimination and/or harassment
11 times more likely to be highly effective than those in non-inclusive teams
10 times more likely to be innovative
6 times more likely to provide excellent customer service
4 times more likely to work extra hard

Yet despite the undeniable benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace and impressive forward strides towards more diversity and inclusivity within the Australian tech sector, BIPOC workers, women, and LGBTQ+ employees still face discrimination, underrepresentation, and inequality.

So why is diversity, equality and inclusion still seem like such an uphill battle for the tech industry? After all, Nike has been talking about this for the last 25 years, celebrating disabled athletes, female participation in sports and notably building an advertising campaign around the outcast NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who protested against racial injustice in 2016.

Whilst there are many factors that contribute to the unique challenges faced by the tech industry, when it comes to diversity and inclusion, a good place to start exploring them is at the top.

Executive Endorsement

Analysis by USA Today highlighted that at the executive level, more than 83% of executives are white, and 80% are men, compared to the overall private sector where 71% of executives are men and 83% are white.

In Australia, a study by Watermark Search of 300 ASX listed companies, found that 69% of all board-level appointments in 2021 were male. Only 5% were under the age of 50.

Whilst the BLM events of 2020 might suggest attitudes for change are shifting, it seems that much of this is driven by Gen Z and Millennials. According to a study by McKinsey , 75% of Gen Z consumers will boycott companies that discriminate against race and sexuality across advertisement campaigns. Perhaps a by-product of the digital age, Millenials and Gen Z-ers, more exposed to larger social issues, have grown up surrounded by the internet and social media and are therefore seen as more socially aware. Suggesting perhaps the divide is generational.

David Willetts, author in 2010 of The Pinch: How the Baby Boomers Took Their Children’s Future – And Why They Should Give It Back , a book that sparked a flood of furious debate. “The charge,” he declared, “is that the boomers have been guilty of a monumental failure to protect the interests of future generations.”

Black Lives Matter protests, the MeToo movement and increased awareness around LGBTQ+ rights have resurrected the discussion on disparities in pay, opportunity and success that underrepresented groups face in the workplace. However, the onus remains with organisations to be the agents of change. Perhaps the biggest step-change may come as the baby boomers step down from leadership roles, pathing a new path for more inclusive and diverse leadership from more socially savvy Gen Z and Millennials.

The Gender Gap

In the short term, it’s not only attitudes that are shifting. The STEM Equity Monitor 2021 , a national data report on Australian girls’ and women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), showed notable improvements for girl’s and women’s representation and participation in STEM study and careers:

Since 2015, the proportion of women enrolled in university STEM fields of education (undergraduate and postgraduate) increased by 2 percentage points. This reached 36% in 2019 (more than 81,000 women), up from 34% in 2015 (70,000 women).
The proportion of women working across all STEM-qualified industries has continually increased from 24% in 2016 to 28% in 2020.
The proportion of key management personnel and senior managers who are women has also continuously increased from 18% in 2016 to 23% in 2020.
These promising statistics breathe a hopeful wind of change into the air, yet women made up less than a quarter of students studying STEM in 2019 (22% of enrolments and 24% of completions of total STEM VET and university enrolments). Five years after graduating, men with a STEM qualification were still 1.8 times more likely to be working in a STEM-qualified occupation compared to their women peers.

Barriers to entry

Encouraging as these statistics are, as the industry booms, limited access to technology and education for minority groups continues to be a barrier to entry for those looking for a career in tech. Whilst the rise of digital technology is creating new jobs and new possibilities for the type of work we do and how it’s done, many disadvantaged students have limited access to computers or the internet at home.

Only 68% of children aged 5 to 14 in Australia’s most disadvantaged communities access the internet at home, compared with 91% of students from the most advantaged communities. Without the internet to research and complete studies, disadvantaged students fall further behind.

A report published by the NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS), which surveyed 730 people living in low-to middle-income households in NSW, found that almost 15 per cent of those surveyed said they had to go without internet or voice calls in the past 12 months because they could not afford to pay their mobile phone bill. A further 29 per cent reported they had to limit their mobile phone use because of financial stress, while 16 per cent said their phone did not have any data allowance.

No doubt, these issues have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many universities and education centres forced to deliver online and remote learning programs. But without further support, the shortage of tech talent is likely to become more pronounced over the coming years as a result.

Tech Start-Ups forging the path forward for DE&I

Those fortunate enough to be actively employed in the tech sector are beginning to see positive changes in the workplace. Perhaps this is indicative of Australia’s burgeoning Tech Start-up scene, with over 17.7K+ Tech startups, including 2.3K+ public ones mostly located in Sydney & Melbourne. Investment in Australian tech start-ups is significant, with more than $1.1 billion announced in the space of eight days in mid-September 2021. In an interview with SmartCompany, Tech Council chief executive Kate Pounder says Australia is in the midst of a “tech boom” that is adding thousands of jobs to the economy.

Hungry for tech talent and agile enough to pivot quickly to meet shifts in employee sentiment, many of these tech start-ups are perhaps better attuned to the expectations of today’s employees and are making diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) a core part of their business model and critical in enabling them to achieve scale. Fast growth and financial success are likely to light the path towards equality, as many of the existing big tech companies have business models that perpetuate inequality. This is perhaps because such cultural shifts require time to implement and embed for large enterprises.

The current state of play

The Australian Workplace Equality Index National Engagement Survey 2021 of over 2880 participants from organisations across the Technology sector, found that despite the complexities and challenges around successfully implementing DE&I initiatives, the technology sector is performing better than most.

Of the total participants, 326 identified as being part of the LGBTQ community. And whilst the tech sector differs from the national mix in a number of significant areas:

The tech sector has more men than women (55% vs 43% whereas the national mix is 43% 54%)
The tech sector also appears to be under-represented by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, people living with disabilities and mature age employees. It has a higher representation of people of colour and those who have a CALD background.

However, on closer examination of the state of LGBTQ workplace inclusion, the tech sector is enjoying better performance than the national results:

70% of respondents in the sector thought an organisation's positive track record in this aspect of inclusion would positively influence them to join the organisation. (59% nationally)
86% thought that Initiatives in this sea have been regularly communicated during the year (n: 75%)
74% stated that awareness or ally training was made available throughout the year (n:59%) and 54% had attended such training (n:35%)
69% claimed jokes and innuendo were called out and addressed (n:57%)
10% witnessed of negative behaviours/mild harassment which was 14% nationally.
If these statistics weren’t encouraging enough, the business case for implementing DE&I is equally promising with 90% of the professionals feeling productive at work (n:88%) and 86% feel engaged (n:81%). Health and wellbeing indicators are also higher than average.

Furthermore, communication about inclusion as it relates to sexuality and gender diverse employees is notably better in the technology sector, across all areas but especially in the recruitment process (72% vs 53%)

Executive endorsement in the tech sector is also significantly better (86% vs 67%) as is network promotion (86% vs 68%), training promotion (75% to 57%). Perhaps the most positive statistic is that 81% felt managers would address negative commentary and jokes (n: 66%).

The great resignation

Of course, this doesn’t mean the industry can rest on its laurels. The impending threat of the 'Great Resignation' could well be a catalyst to fairer, equal opportunities and support. It’s very much a candidate market in Australia and jobseekers are discerningly seeking out environments where they can thrive. They are increasingly selective about where, how and with who they choose to work. As good people leave, one might expect business leaders to focus on becoming increasingly people-first, empathetic and invest in DE&I initiatives and programs to empower and retain their workforce. Organisations that don’t provide mentorship and coaching, career mobility opportunities, actively offer support for underrepresented and minoritised groups, fair compensation, and work-life balance will struggle to attract and retain good people.

The impact of Hybrid-working

This is perhaps most pronounced for women who wish to continue to work from home now COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. It’s inevitable that as hybrid-working models become the norm, those who choose to stay at home are likely to be women with children who potentially risk having fewer opportunities and advantages in the workplace due to less visibility in the office.

A recent study from Gartner suggests that the way forward for organisations that want to boost and retain diverse workforces must work to identify the needs of different types of employees, as well as make significant investments in programs to meet employees' needs and expectations. The rise of hybrid and remote work can make this more difficult, as teams might be spread across the country or world, but managers still need to make the right investments in diversity and increase their cadence of communication with team members.

Tech as a tool for DE&I

Unsurprisingly, demand for D&I tech has grown significantly in recent years. The current market size is estimated to be $313 million, up from $100 million in 2019. In part, fulled by the rapid growth of the number of DEIB tech vendors entering the market. In 2021 alone, this number increased by 87%, with a total of 196 vendors in the market for 2021, compared with 105 in 2019. Similarly, the number of HRTech vendors offering features with a D&I focus has increased by 136% over the same time period. Technology itself could be the tool that enables the Australian technology sector to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces, especially where remote of hybrid-working is concerned.

How we can help

Marlin Human Capital aims to partner with all of our candidates throughout their career growth. We offer guidance, counselling, and career support throughout the entire job search process. We partner with organisations that embrace Diversity & Inclusion, ensuring your career ambitions are supported and encouraged.

We recognise that being a leading executive search firm isn’t just a two-way street, but a crisscrossed network of opportunities to support our clients and our candidates. We don’t just help companies hire the best candidates—we help the people we know grow into the best candidates. We guide our candidates in discovering new capabilities and competencies, exploring new approaches to challenges, and bolstering their weaknesses. Diversity isn’t just a KPI or vanity metric at Marlin Human Capital. Cultural diversity is a powerful tool in creating a more balanced company culture. Knowing how to bring that diversity to you means that we need to understand your culture intimately. For this reason, our approach involves a close working relationship with our clients in order to empower the right diversity and inclusion practices from the initial brief right through to the final appointment.

Contact us for a confidential discussion with one of our expert team. When partnering with Marlin Human Capital, rest assured you are guaranteed absolute professionalism and discretion.

Succession Planning: Creating Future Tech Leaders

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 06:38:39 GMT

With technology skills shortages at an all-time high and fierce competition for the best talent pushing salaries to unprecedented levels, the potential for losing tech talent is greater than ever before.

Hiring and retaining talent is an intrinsic part of a CIO’s remit. Equally important is the development of successors, or future IT leaders with the technical acumen and management skills to drive future growth for organisations. Yet with so much technological change, compressed time frames for the delivery of modernisation projects and the lack of available talent, it’s no surprise succession planning has moved down the priority list.

hilst most organisations are implementing succession planning to some degree, with varying levels of success, the challenge for technology leaders is arguably more complex and precarious. With the proliferation of modernisation projects, teams are typically formed around the implementation of new technologies and often disbanded afterwards, leaving organisations and PMO’s understaffed. For technology leaders, this makes the notion of succession planning particularly difficult.

hough technology leadership falls under the umbrella of the broader succession planning model, little is done about succession planning and skills development for technology subject matter experts, their supporting teams and successive upgrades and new technologies. At 73% of companies, the most common method for identifying individuals as potential candidates for leadership positions was a single nomination by their direct manager. (CrForum, 2016).

ith technological advancement and adoption significantly outpacing the ability of organisations to keep pace with the need to update and adapt organisational structures, skills maps, workflows, policies and procedures, succession planning is crucial to future growth. However, many businesses have a difficult time fully leveraging their technology investments and, in some cases, sustaining and scaling their technologies after implementation simply because succession plans and leadership development programs are not deep enough. Once predominantly technology-focused, the modern CIO is now a strategic business role, reliant on strong soft skills and board-level business acumen focused on shaping the business vision with technology.

Why is succession planning crucial for tech leaders?

Among a myriad of distractions and competing priorities, succession planning may not be a top agenda item for many technology leaders. 70% of executives reported that leadership development programs have been rescheduled or delayed (I4CP, 2020), creating a high degree of risk to the future development of IT projects and the ongoing maintenance of business-critical systems. 40% of talent reviews that are a part of the organisation’s succession planning are now being conducted virtually, and 33% said that they have delayed or rescheduled such meetings (I4CP, 2020)

T he high level of technical expertise required for IT leadership roles limits the potential talent pool, making it difficult for executives to easily transition internal leadership candidates from other departments. Yet the ever-increasing reliance and investment in technology as a business enabler means a failure to establish deep leadership talent pools leaves organisations exposed and at risk.

Go deep to identify talent

For CIO’s and technology leaders, the sheer lack of technology talent in Australia means succession planning needs to go beyond simply identifying the leadership stars of tomorrow, but exploring talent a few levels deeper to discover employees that demonstrate early signs of leadership potential who could develop in the coming years with the right coaching and training.

This means looking at talent, at different stages in their careers; the next-generation leaders currently exhibiting the necessary skills to step into management tomorrow; the emerging leaders who have the requisite technical skills and, with appropriate coaching and training, could become leaders within a few years; and then those employees who have demonstrated the soft skills to work well with management and in teams but also want to and can grow into future management potential.

This strategy becomes crucial for organisations that are using technology modernisation initiatives to change business focus, allowing the executive team to leverage emerging IT leadership talent quickly, reassigning expertise to support the new business objectives. However, this shouldn’t be an in-house-only exercise. Building ‘virtual talent pools’ outside of the organisation not only gives you visibility of the broader talent market from which to benchmark but increases your options. Tech success is reliant on quality talent to use technology as a vehicle to turn ideas and concepts into functional business solutions. Only 35% of organisations have a formalised succession planning process. (ATD, 2019) giving CIO’s and technology leaders who focus on and encourage multi-layered succession planning and workforce development a distinct advantage.

Developing a talent pool of potential future leaders complete with integrity, sound ethics, technological smarts and the business acumen to deliver on the strategic vision then these tips will help;

Discovering Future Tech Leaders

In 2022, demand for tech leaders who possess the necessary agility, technical understanding and business acumen to leverage emerging technologies for business growth is increasing. Yet soft skills and the ability to develop employee-centric cultures, innovative thinking and high performance are critical success factors for future leaders. The following suggestions can help technology leaders get started with succession planning or refine existing plans.

Work closely with HR

CIOs should engage and closely partner with HR leaders not only on initiatives to bolster deep pipelines but invest in leadership coaching and other training programs. This means defining both the critical technical skills required to make good technical decisions and working with leaders from other business units to understand the leadership qualities and soft skills required to meet business objectives now and in the future.

Good preparation

Rapidly evolving technology, rampant modernisation and increased technological adoption are creating movement at the leadership level as organisations pivot having focused on recovery. The organisations that are incorporating a structured succession plan into their technology roadmap will be best placed to navigate sudden or unexpected changes in technology leadership. With specialised talent and technical expertise in short supply, succession planning is particularly important for technology leaders.

Candidate pipelines

The market for top talent technology is fiercely competitive. To stay ahead, companies need to establish leadership development programs that can help them identify and prepare a range of internal technology candidates who demonstrate the desire for potential leadership roles rather than those who are seeking technical growth. 79% of employers surveyed note that they have succession plans in place for mid-level management positions (Talexes, 2017). Building strong candidate pipelines through succession planning is essential to not only gain a competitive advantage in developing leadership talent but also to mitigate against losing high-performing talent. CIO’s and IT leaders who are willing to invest the time to identify those rising stars and provide the necessary training, education and mentoring for tomorrow's leaders can help maintain technology continuity plans and help organisations realise the value of their technology investments through succession planning.

Innovative thinking

Innovative thinking and a fresh approach to technology succession planning that extends beyond the digital competencies and encompasses DEI, sustainability and the commercial acumen required to align and support strategic objectives are paramount for driving innovation and growth. Organisations need to give consideration to a broad range of potential internal and external technology candidate pools to ensure they can cover a variety of changing business scenarios but to explore a broad range of perspectives, thinking and skills. This helps technology leaders and HR teams establish a clear profile of the qualities and attributes that are necessary for future success.

Develop future leaders early

Whilst successful succession programs should fall under wider leadership development and talent management plans, they need to cater to the unique needs of the technology department. Although treating succession as a short-term need, rather than a long-standing, structured process might offer a sense of agility and flexibility, it denies organisations the opportunity to start developing future leaders early in their employment and better manage the risks associated with scarcely available technical expertise.

Two key steps to developing potential future tech leadership talent early are talent assessments & leadership development plans. Discovering the technical competencies, soft skills and gaps of your existing employees through talent assessments and benchmarking those against the critical skills needed for tech leadership positions can help both CIO’s and HR teams identify candidates who demonstrate the highest potential for future leadership roles. Career development plans can then be created based on the technical and soft skills required for success in the role, anticipating the future goals and technology roadmap of the organisation.

Effective onboarding

Investment in robust, effective and supportive onboarding and transition processes are of paramount importance. With nearly three-quarters of organisations

(74%) failing to complete a legacy system modernisation project according to new global research from Advanced), few companies can afford for technology leaders to fail in their new roles. The research found that one of the largest obstacles to a successful modernisation project is a disconnect of priorities between technical and leadership teams. Arguably, quality onboarding and transition support and processes are more important for technology leadership appointments given the complexity of projects and the technical expertise required, especially since Only 27% believe their organisations provide the necessary resources to support their move into a C-level role according to McKinsey. Compounding the issue, McKinsey found 50% of leaders reported that it took them six months to become effective in their new roles.

Ensuring that executive-level transitions are thorough and collaborative is essential. Providing new tech leadership appointments with access to critical information, adequate resources, organisational/technological methodologies and supportive board members can greatly reduce the time it takes for them to become effective in their new role, creating a win-win situation.

Continuously refine your plan

Organisations that develop the best leaders create technology succession plans that include selection criteria based on the future needs of the business and the technology roadmap. These criteria are often based on business performance forecasts, future direction and emerging technology, hence the need for continuous refinement and adjustment of not only the assessment criteria but the technical skills required of future tech leaders.

Incorporating flexibility for adjustment in succession plans, career development plans and selection criteria help organisations remain current and future-focused.

How Marlin Human Capital can help

At Marlin Human Capital, we’ve developed a powerful technology leadership assessment approach, deeply rooted in technical competency review, evidence-based psychometric techniques and behavioural analysis.

Expertise matters and we ensure that every candidate’s past and present performance is benchmarked against the highest standards. We help organisations identify and develop the most competent individuals who demonstrate the potential to advance your technology roadmap and business goals, forming a valuable part of your leadership team through the provision of a structured succession plan and career development program to cultivate the best performers.

If you’re interested in understanding how we can help develop a talent pool of future tech leaders, contact us to arrange a confidential discussion with one of our experts. When partnering with Marlin Human Capital, rest assured you are guaranteed absolute professionalism and discretion.

What makes a great tech leader: the top 12 things you need to focus on

scott.blakemore@marlinhc.com (Scott Blakemore) — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 06:38:40 GMT

The role of a CIO in 2022

It’s fair to say that in recent years the role of the CIO has experienced a perpetual state of flux. The somewhat dusty concept of a behind-the-scenes, technical fixer with managerial responsibility for the back-office dev shop no longer fits the remit of today's modern CIO.

Within 18 months, CIO’s have had to navigate a host of often radical, fast-paced technical challenges, whilst balancing the complex business and leadership responsibilities that accompanied rapid changes resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.

If the almost overnight implementation of remote-working capabilities wasn’t challenging enough, equally brisk cloud adoption, security over-hauls and the roll-out of new collaboration and video conferencing tools, all the while managing a geographically dispersed and emotionally spent workforce have plagued the CIO. All during arguably, what can be considered as Australia’s greatest tech talent shortage.

5 critical skills for the the modern CIO

Unsurprisingly, the modern CIO role has shifted. Once predominantly technologically driven, it is now a strategic business role, reliant on strong soft skills and board-level business acumen focused on shaping the business vision with technology. The modern CIO must identify opportunities where technology can be a competitive advantage, then bridge the gap between technology and the business.

Understand the business

Whilst technology can be a great enabler, streamlining operations; increasing efficiency, productivity, and adapting to changes as they arise requires technology leaders who are aware of the needs and pain points of the business. Modern CIO’s will be expected to know every aspect of the business from net income, Ebitda, the products it produces or sells to its vendors, sales channels, customers and their competition in order to make sound business and technology decisions.

Align strategy

Strategic business is now an essential aspect of being a successful CIO. Creating holistic business-aligned IT strategies require clarity and perspective, but also the ground level knowledge to understand what needs to be done to implement technology strategies that support the companies' ambitions. This means influencing more than just the boardroom. CIO’s need to collaborate with the broader business. According to Rahul Singh, managing director with management consultancy Pace Harmon "CIOs will need to sharpen their business skills and build relationships with the CEOs and GMs so they can collaborate as strategic partners."

Lead innovation

Technology continues to evolve at an alarming rate. CIOs more than ever before must have a finger on the pulse of technological change, but also retain sufficient flexibility to proactively respond to this rapid rate of innovation. This requires a willingness to take risks, embrace new ideas and lead by being an agent for change. Those who actively promote a culture of innovation, creativity and forward-thinking have the best chance of preventing inertia, or worse, being outpaced by competitors.

Reduce costs

CIOs must continuously manage an ever-increasing range of cost pressures. Perhaps the largest of which is reducing tech debt associated with legacy IT architecture in favour of more flexible and cost-effective outsourced models or new, emerging technology which can not only improve organisational performance but help mitigate against increasing cyber-risk and ever-greater volumes of data. This has created a progressively symbiotic responsibility for the financial management of technology. Tech spending is no longer the sole remit of the CFO, instead the responsibility is increasingly borne by the CIO.

Build teams

Perhaps the greatest asset of a good CIO is the ability to build cohesive, strategically aligned teams. However, identifying, attracting and retaining top technology talent is a challenge as much for CIOs as it is for HR teams given the much publicised tech talent shortage.

At a time when managers in the Australian technology sector grossly over-estimate their impact on employees and their ability to make employees feel valued, the ability to lead from the front and deliver results is essential in building trust and confidence for todays CIO. Whilst soft skills are a crucial attribute, leaders are defined and judged by their results as much by their subordinates as the board.

In 2022, CIOs will be expected to take more of a lead on hiring and training for new skills and identifying who enterprises need to develop over the near- to medium-term, predicts Patrick Heffernan, senior analyst at Technology Business Research."CIOs that are active now in setting the training agenda are the ones to watch," he adds.

7 Steps to CIO mastery…

Yesterdays CIO was largely defined by their technical expertise. Today most successful CIOs stand out for their ability to communicate, unify groups, and drive cultural change. This shift represents a fundamental change in some of the characteristics traditionally associated with the CIO. Here’s five key features that we believe define a great IT leader:

Learn to Understand People

Whilst this might seem obvious, it's people that make or break businesses, it’s people who use technology and it is people in IT who make technology work. Understanding people and building good workplace relationships is the bedrock of driving positive team performance. More than ever, emotional intelligence is an attribute of focus among executives and leaders. Building and managing high performance teams is incredibly difficult if one is unable to recognise and, ultimately, appreciate the nuances among staff.

Read The Room

It’s important to observe and learn the unspoken messages each person is conveying. Understanding body language and non-verbal cues is critical for building relationships. Things like; eye contact, tone of voice and facial expressions and gestures or body movement all provide useful information on how a person is feeling or thinking.

Be Empathetic

Learn to put yourself in the other person's shoes. By forcing yourself to look at a situation from the other person's point of view, you can better understand them. This is not the same as agreeing with them, rather it is ensuring that they know they have been heard and understood. A good leader recognises that each team member has unique strengths and areas for improvement, and is able to use these to the team’s advantage.

Communicate Effectively

The CIO’s and IT leaders of the tomorrow need to be collaborative people leaders. IT leaders need to live up to very different expectations now; rather than working behind the scenes, modern CIOs are expected to be visible and collaborative, communicating the technology vision constantly across the entire business. Before they can do this, they must start with active listening. Effective communicaton requires paying close attention to what’s being said by stakeholders, make others feel heard and considered. Transformational projects, whilst necessary are not always well received since change can be both disruptive and difficult. Developing a filter helps ensure a leveled approach to negotiation and challenging discussions, minimising conflict in the workplace.

Business drive

CIOs today are expected to be business leaders, not just technology experts. Understanding the business needs beyond technology and operational efficiencies, to a better comprehension of customer-facing or revenue-generating drivers and challenges is crucial. Influencing business strategy and how technology supports company objectives for better business outcomes is where CIOs can help navigate the complex and shifting business landscape, driving organisations forward.

Manage Conflict

Effective leadership means you should be good at identifying conflict, and have foresight on how to resolve it. Conflict can happen in many areas of business so it’s essential to be rational and controlled when faced with confrontation. Misunderstandings are often the result of a failure to clarify and understand the other persons experience. By gathering all the facts and focusing on learning to attack the issue, not the person, we are more likely to understand the core issue and approach its resolution without damaging important relationships in the process.

Willingness to learn

The pace technological change is unrelenting and the landscape, constantly shifting. In parallel, the role of the CIO is continually evolving. Keeping pace with emerging technologies requires the modern CIO to be as much a disrupter as technology itself. Being agile and dexterous in response to unexpected change requires an appetite for risk, innovation and the desire to continuously keep growing and learning. Those who can acknowledge their weaknesses, seek help and collaborate to work and overcome issues will thrive.

How we can help

Marlin Human Capital aims to partner with all of our candidates throughout their career growth. We offer guidance, counselling, and career support throughout the entire job search process, and we always remember the good people we’ve worked with when making recommendations for career opportunities that meet the ambitions of the professionals in our network.

Contact us for a confidential discussion with one of our expert team. When partnering with Marlin Human Capital, rest assured you are guaranteed absolute professionalism and discretion.