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CTO Hiring Is In ‘High Gear’

06Jun
Green KeyInformation Technology

CIO.com magazine says hiring of executive level tech leaders is “back in high gear.”

The pandemic brought a halt to most CIO and CTO hiring as companies scrambled to meet the needs of employees who began working remotely – many for the first time – in mid-March when all but essential businesses were shuttered.

At the same time, those holding those top IT jobs were hesitant to make a move. With 60% of IT leaders in a recent survey saying they couldn’t forecast conditions beyond three months, one top tech recruiting leader told CIO, “If you have a hard time telling the future, how willing are you going to be to go to a new organization?”

Now, companies have again begun to recruit professionals for their top IT jobs. Recently, CIO noted HP, Okta and Quick Base all hired new CIOs. Retailers Bed, Bath & Beyond and H&M Group announced new CTOs. In September, California utility PG&E brought on a new CTO.

Recruiters tell CIO that much of the initial screening and interviewing is being done remotely.

“Virtual meetings create great flexibility for candidates and hiring managers alike, reducing time spent traveling from across the country or even overseas. It also eliminates the stress that comes with sitting in meetings with one stakeholder after another during a single day,” says CIO.

Final meetings with candidates are still done in person, though the setting has changed. “Hiring managers and candidates might have a final meeting over a coffee outdoors or walk in the park, which can help cement culture fit.”

Online recruiting and interviewing has helped accelerate at least some parts of a hiring process that pre-COVID could take months. Still, each company has its own hiring process, so it’s difficult to tell how much speedier hiring has become.

Though circumstances can change, right now the recruiters interviewed by CIO say senior level hiring is likely to remain strong.

One top recruiting leader says, “We don’t see hiring slowing down at this time. There are a lot of skillsets that are highly sought after.”

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

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There’s a tech job that pays well, is growing fast and is in such demand that it’s taking employers weeks to fill an opening.

And it typically doesn’t require knowing any language besides English.

With the number of devices and applications mushrooming and their capabilities increasing just as rapidly, explaining to users how to make everything work is the job of technical writers. “They’re vital players when the time comes for a company or team to communicate its work to the rest of the world,” writes Nick Kolakowski on the Dice.com blog.

Instruction manuals are how most of us come in contact with the work of technical writers. Some technical writers specialize in writing these consumer focused materials; most write them along with handling other documentation tasks.

It may seem simple enough to describe the features of a new smartphone, but as the Dice article points out, “If the technical writer screws up, it could result in an extremely frustrated customer base — which reflects badly on the company.”

Many technical writers have a broad range of responsibilities that in the tech industry itself may include maintaining internal documentation of software fixes and new features. Often, the technical writer will work directly with an engineering team, becoming involved early in the product cycle to develop the deep understanding they’ll need to clearly explain complex features. This is especially true for those tech writers whose documentation will be used by IT professionals and engineers.

Simon Dew, a technical writer with an international firm that sells a database platform, says he writes for a technical audience because the users are database managers and developers.

It may not be a job requirement to know how to code – though there are writing jobs requiring a computer science background – all writers must be good at asking questions, be detail-oriented, understand technical concepts and write clearly.

Jacklyn Carroll, a technical writer who was an undergraduate English major who went on to earn a Master’s in professional and technical writing, says, “Any tech writer would be able to tell you that our job includes a lot more than just documentation. We have to communicate with people across multiple departments, write for a variety of audiences, and many of us have to understand programming or code at the same level as software developers.”

As a result, starting salaries can be as high as $70,000, according to Dice.com. The average for those writers with up to 2 years’ experience is $60,000. With more experience and skills, technical writers at the top can earn into six figures.

Photo by Andrew Neel

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Information Technology
Jun 6, 2023

The IT Job That Troubleshoots Before There’s Trouble

Information Technology
Jun 6, 2023

The IT Job That Troubleshoots Before There’s Trouble

When the sick at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital got worse despite the efforts of a team of specialists, the call went out for Dr. Gregory House.

When a new app or program fails to work the way it’s supposed to, that’s when you call in a solutions architect.

Like Dr. House, a solutions architect solves problems others can’t — without the acerbic personality of the TV doctor.

But unlike House, solutions architects do their best work before the patient — the project — is sick.

“A solution architect looks at the big picture when technological decisions are made by an organization,” weeding out the pieces that don’t contribute enough to accomplishing the overall objectives of the development project, explains the IT trade association, CompTIA.

Companies may call the job by different names, depending on the primary focus. Software architect, security architect, technical architect are a sample. All share broad responsibilities. CompTIA says they work with business leaders, translating business problems into tech solutions in a way that is clear to both developers and laymen. In that role they may:

  • Design computer and information systems for specific needs
  • Recommend and integrate software and hardware
  • Analyze current systems architecture making recommendations for improvement
  • Organize development efforts and select team members
  • Communicate effectively with staff and clients.

The job requires a deep knowledge of systems and development, CompTIA says. “Most companies hiring a solution architect are looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology or something in the engineering field.”

The IT services firm Onix-Systems suggests having at least 8 years’ experience working in different IT areas. Serving as a project manager is highly desirable as it shows you have the ability to work with a team, meet deadlines and communicate effectively.

Technical prowess alone is not enough. The ability to communicate effectively and clearly – and empathetically, says Onix-Systems – that makes for a successful solutions architect.

According to CareerExplorer, “Solution architects tend to be predominantly investigative individuals, which means that they are quite inquisitive and curious people that often like to spend time alone with their thoughts. They also tend to be enterprising, which means that they are usually quite natural leaders who thrive at influencing and persuading others.”

The combination of advanced technical skills, business know-how, outstanding communication skills and management acumen is a rare enough combination that companies pay well for the right talent. The average base pay for a solutions architect is between $110,000 and $115,000.

If you’re a solutions architect or you have the background and interest in the role, send us your resume. You can also search our current jobs listings.

If you’re an employer looking to fill a solutions architect position, call us at 212.683.1988. Our recruiters are specialists who can help you tailor your requirements to get exactly the right person for your organization and your team.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

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