Talent Shortage - OutBüro

Skillsoft’s Global Knowledge Skills and Salary Report Finds Three in Four IT Departments Face Critical Skills Gaps

November 11, 2021 (updated November 11, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Gaps in IT staff skills causing increased stress levels and decreased productivity within organizations

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#LandD—Skillsoft (NYSE:SKIL), a global leader in corporate digital learning, today released its annual Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report, exploring the current state of skills gaps, training and development, compensation, and job satisfaction in the IT industry. Based on responses from more than 9,300 IT professionals, the report found that 76 percent of IT decision makers worldwide are facing critical skills gaps in their departments – a 145 percent increase since 2016. While still a significant challenge, this represents the second consecutive year of slight improvement (79 percent in 2019, 78 percent in 2020).

“Today’s digital-first economy has presented significant opportunities for organizations. However, it has also created a dire need for new skills in cloud computing, cybersecurity, AI, DevOps, and many other critical tech areas,” said Michael Yoo, General Manager, Technology & Developer, Skillsoft. “Gaps in skills don’t just disappear, they only grow wider if not properly addressed. While it is encouraging to see early signs of closing the gap, work is far from done. Organizations must place a bigger emphasis on investing in employee training, empowering professionals to earn new certifications, and filling vacant roles with diverse candidates.”

To continue closing the skills gap, understanding the reasons behind it, and its impact, is critical. As digital transformation accelerates, 38 percent of IT decision makers cited the rate of technology change outpacing their existing skills development programs as the primary driver, followed by difficulty in attracting qualified candidates (35 percent) and lack of investment in training resources (32 percent). In addition to the direct effect these gaps have on organizations’ bottom lines – IDC predicts the financial impact growing to $6.5 trillion worldwide by 2025¹ – respondents also said they increase employee stress (55 percent), make it difficult to meet quality and business objectives (42 percent and 36 percent, respectively), and create project delays (35 percent), among other challenges.

Of note, organizations are increasingly recognizing the role that professional development plays in combatting skills gaps and raising employee morale and retention, with 56 percent of IT decision makers saying they have a plan in place to train existing team members. And, given that 80 percent of IT professionals report a myriad of benefits after achieving new skills and certifications – including improved quality of work (49 percent), higher levels of engagement (32 percent), and faster job performance (27 percent) – providing upskilling opportunities is a win-win for both organizations and employees alike.

Additional takeaways from the Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary report include:

IT staff crave learning and development and will move on if they are not getting it.
- For the third consecutive year, respondents that switched employers within the past year cited a lack of growth and development opportunities as their top reason for doing so (59 percent), taking precedence over better compensation (39 percent) and work/life balance (31 percent).
- When training, 66 percent of respondents said they prefer a formal, instructor-led approach, while the remaining third gravitate toward informal, peer-to-peer methods, underscoring the value of providing personalized and blended learning experiences.
Salaries are on the rise and opportunities exist for even bigger paychecks.
- The average annual salary for IT professionals has increased across all regions. Aside from executives and those in sales, the higher-paying positions are in cloud, risk management, security, and IT architecture and design.
- 52 percent of respondents said they received a raise in the past year, attributing the increase to a variety of factors including job performance, developing new skills, and obtaining industry certifications.
More IT professionals are certified than ever and are boosting the bottom line.
- 92 percent of all respondents said they have at least one certification, a 5 percent and 7 percent increase compared to 2020 and 2019, respectively.
  - 64 percent of IT decision makers say certified employees deliver $10,000 or more in added annual value compared to non-certified team members, demonstrating the positive impact that investment in training has on organizations’ bottom lines.

Resources:

^{1 – IDC, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Work 2022 Predictions, Doc. #US47290521, October 2021}

Research Methodology

The 2021 IT Skills and Salary Survey was conducted online from November 2020 through February 2021, yielding more than 9,300 responses globally from IT decision makers and staff. Distributed by Global Knowledge, technology companies, and industry associations around the world, the survey was made available in web articles, online newsletters, and social media, and tabulated using the Qualtrics XM Platform.

About Skillsoft

Skillsoft (NYSE:SKIL) is a global leader in corporate digital learning, focused on transforming today’s workforce for tomorrow’s economy. The Company provides enterprise learning solutions designed to prepare organizations for the future of work, overcome critical skill gaps, drive demonstrable behavior-change, and unlock the potential in their people. Skillsoft offers a comprehensive suite of premium, original, and authorized partner content, including one of the broadest and deepest libraries of leadership & business skills, technology & developer, and compliance curricula. With access to a broad spectrum of learning options (including video, audio, books, bootcamps, live events, and practice labs), organizations can meaningfully increase learner engagement and retention. Skillsoft’s offerings are delivered through Percipio, its award-winning, AI-driven, immersive learning platform purpose built to make learning easier, more accessible, and more effective. Learn more at www.skillsoft.com.

Contacts

Investors
James Gruskin

james.gruskin@skillsoft.com

Media
Caitlin Leddy

caitlin.leddy@skillsoft.com

Nearly 2-in-5 Hospitality Workers Considering or Have Plans to Leave Their Job in the Next Two Months

November 4, 2021 (updated November 4, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Medallia Zingle report finds a quarter of global hospitality employees say their employee experience has suffered since the return to travel.

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–New research released today by Medallia, Inc., the global leader in customer and employee experience, reveals that 38% of hospitality workers say they’re considering or already have plans to leave their jobs in the next two months. This and other insights are available in the full report, Global Staffing Report: Employee Experience Impacts Hospitality, released today by Medallia Zingle, the leading intelligent messaging provider used by some of the world’s biggest hospitality brands.

For the report, Medallia surveyed more than 1,250 travel and hospitality workers from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain & Germany. Findings reveal major challenges affecting the hospitality industry today, including how the return to travel is impacting workers’ job satisfaction, their employee experience, and their relationships with guests.

With hospitality’s historic staffing shortage well-reported, the report’s uncovering that nearly two-fifths of global hospitality workers plan to leave their jobs by the end of the year — and that 59% of organizations are working with less staff now than they did prior to the pandemic — hints at a challenging holiday season ahead for brands across the world. In fact, the study found that while 67% of workers report that their organization is experiencing increased guest activity since the return to travel, nearly half (48%) say their employers’ handling of it has been “Just OK.”

This is worrying news at a crucial juncture in the industry’s reopening, but illustrates the opportunity that exists for brands to better equip their teams to handle the upcoming travel surge, and address the industry’s staffing crisis.

“All industries have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but the travel and hospitality sector has experienced a particularly significant impact on its operations,” said Ford Blakely, founder, senior vice president and general manager of Medallia Zingle. “And while it’s concerning that a significant amount of workers are considering or already have plans to leave their jobs before the end of the year, brands have a massive opportunity to adopt technology and communication strategies that allow their employees to do more with less and create a more empowered and engaged workforce that’s enthusiastic about providing their guests with a best-in-class experience.”

Additional highlights from the report include:

US’ Struggles Higher Than Global Average: 68% of U.S. hospitality workers say their organization is working with less staff now than they did prior to the pandemic.
- Top 3 reasons globally: “health and safety concerns,” “lack of job security,” and because “workers obtained new jobs during the shutdown.”

Little Payoff for Employees: 61% of hospitality workers across the globe say their roles are harder and less rewarding since the onset of the pandemic.

Employee Experience Takes a Hit: A quarter (24%) of employees say that their employee experience has gotten worse and that they feel less engaged.
- Additionally, 27% say that the customer experience they are providing has also gotten worse since the onset of the pandemic.

Hiring Woes Persist: More than half (52%) of hospitality employees across the globe say that hiring talent has been an issue for their organization.
- Top 3 reasons: “not enough qualified applicants,” “lack of resources to offer competitive pay or benefits,” and “lack of flexibility/remote options.”

Medallia Zingle’s full “Global Staffing Report: Employee Experience Impacts Hospitality” report can be downloaded here.

About Medallia

Medallia is the pioneer and market leader in customer, employee, citizen and patient experience. The company’s award-winning SaaS platform, Medallia Experience Cloud, is becoming the experience system of record that makes all other applications customer and employee aware. The platform captures billions of experience signals across interactions including all voice, video, digital, IoT, social media and corporate messaging tools. Medallia uses proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to automatically reveal predictive insights that drive powerful business actions and outcomes. Medallia customers reduce churn, turn detractors into promoters and buyers, create in-the-moment cross-sell and up-sell opportunities and drive revenue-impacting business decisions, providing clear and potent returns on investment. For more information visit www.medallia.com.

© 2021 Medallia, Inc. All rights reserved. Medallia®, the Medallia logo, and the names and marks associated with Medallia’s products are trademarks of Medallia. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts

PR Contact:
Eric Stoessel

press@medallia.com

IR Contact:
Carolyn Bass

ir@medallia.com

Pandemic Drives Shortage of Technology Skills

November 3, 2021 (updated November 3, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Offering secure online exams will help certification bodies continue to increase the scale of their programs

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Questionmark–The pandemic has caused employers to embrace digital technology like never before. But many are struggling to find the technical talent they need to make the most of it. Questionmark, the online assessment provider, can help certification bodies continue to help meet the demand for more technical skills by making it easier and more secure to test candidates online.

Researchers have cited a lack of tech talent as the biggest global barrier to the adoption of new technologies in the workplace.¹ The number of job vacancies in the UK technology sector has reached its highest level since 2016.² But attracting and securing technical talent has never been more challenging.

The increased demand for modern technology skills creates a huge opportunity for IT certification providers. Employers are looking to invest in a wider range of relevant skills and workers are recognizing the value of certifications to their career development. Certification bodies are helping to meet this increase in demand by scaling up their programs.

John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said, “The pandemic has increased the scale of digital acceleration across the workforce. But firms can only take advantage of new technologies if their technical teams have the skills to make use of the latest innovations. And that talent is in short supply.

“Certification providers are working hard to help meet the skills shortage by offering more certifications and delivering them more quickly. A great way of reaching more candidates more quickly is to deliver secure online exams.”

Questionmark provides certification bodies with enterprise-grade technology that frictionlessly integrates all aspects of delivering an assessment into one platform. It is:

Adaptable and easy to use: it is easy to create content and adapt questions. The platform allows worldwide use and rapidly compiles results. Patterns and trends are easy to spot.
Secure online environment: the platform’s proctoring gateway enables the test setter to integrate the right anti-cheating solution, depending on the stakes of the assessment.
Frictionless: integration of ecommerce, reporting and digital badging for successful candidates is smooth and easy.

www.questionmark.com/questionmark-certification-hub/

Ends

Notes to editors

About Questionmark

Questionmark unlocks performance through reliable and secure online assessments.

Questionmark provides a secure enterprise-grade assessment platform and professional services to leading organizations around the world, delivered with care and unequalled expertise. Its full-service online assessment tool and professional services help customers to improve their performance and meet their compliance requirements. Questionmark enables organizations to unlock their potential by delivering assessments which are valid, reliable, fair and defensible.

Questionmark offers secure powerful integration with other LMS, LRS and proctoring services making it easy to bring everything together in one place. Questionmark’s cloud-based assessment management platform offers rapid deployment, scalability for high-volume test delivery, 24/7 support, and the peace-of-mind of secure, audited U.S., Australian and European-based data centers.

¹ https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-shortage-of-tech-workers-is-about-to-become-an-even-bigger-problem-for-everyone/
² https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252502552/Tech-sector-hiring-reaches-highest-level-in-five-years

Contacts

For more information:

US: Kristin Bernor, external relations: Kristin.bernor@questionmark.com +1 203.349.6438

UK: Peter Sigrist: peter.sigrist@fourteenforty.uk +44 7720 056 981

Australia and New Zealand: Chelsea Dowd: chelsea.dowd@questionmark.com +61 2 8073 0527

Beware Big Tech Cities: The City That Amazon, Oracle and Facebook Chose for Major Hubs Is Coming for Your Tech Workers

October 29, 2021 (updated October 29, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

TechIntoNashville Targeting San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Heads up, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. – Nashville has you in its sights. The six cities are targeted in an aggressive marketing campaign launched this month to recruit tech talent to Music City, which is rapidly evolving into a preferred destination for tech companies and workers. This is thanks to a strong local tech ecosystem and industry giants such as Amazon, Facebook, NTT Data and Oracle choosing to locate major operations here.

The six-city blitz, called TechIntoNashville, is the work of the Greater Nashville Technology Council, the leading voice and advocate for Middle Tennessee’s $8 billion information technology ecosystem. The campaign’s goal is to double Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s tech workforce by 2025.

“The tech sector in Nashville has been building steadily for many years, but not everyone outside of this area was aware of that,” said technology council CEO Brian Moyer. “That all changed in 2018 when Amazon announced it had chosen Nashville over 19 other cities for its new 5,000-job Center of Excellence. That put a national spotlight on our city as an up-and-coming tech center – a position that was solidified last year when Facebook broke ground on an $800-million data center just outside of Nashville and this year when Oracle announced it will open a major Nashville hub that will employ 8,500 people.”

This infusion of big tech is on top of strong organic growth. The steady stream of tech companies that have expanded or relocated to Nashville include Eventbrite, Lyft, Houzz, Postmates, Wonolo, Pilot.com, GreenLight Medical, GoCheck Kids, Experience.com, Celero, Thnks, GraphiteRx, Darvis, Zerv, Yoshi, HST Pathways, NTT Data, Phosphorus Cybersecurity, Conquest Cyber and more. Nashville is also home to a vibrant tech startup ecosystem that is experiencing incredible growth, including the emergence of two unicorns in the past six months – Silicon Ranch and Built Technologies.

“We are positioned to attract a world-class tech force,” said Nashville Mayor John Cooper. “Coders and engineers can go anywhere they want, sure. But they’re not going to find a more vibrant, creative city than Nashville, and that’s only becoming more true.”

This year, Nashville was ranked #1 for tech job growth over the past five years by national commercial real estate firm CBRE. In 2020, MoneyGeek ranked Nashville the #1 city for job seekers and The Wall Street Journal ranked Nashville the #2 hottest job market in the country. Policom ranked it the #1 metro for economic strength in 2020 and Stessa rated the city #1 for economic growth in 2021.

“We have built a strong regional tech talent pipeline to help meet the needs of our tech employers and to provide opportunities for local workers looking to move into the tech workforce but the demand for talent continues to grow,” said Moyer. “We realized that meeting the demand would require supplementing those local efforts by recruiting experienced talent from outside the city, thus TechIntoNashville was born.”

Taking a finely targeted approach, TechIntoNashville is focused exclusively on the six U.S. markets with the highest concentration of highly qualified tech talent – San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. – and where tech workers also may be motivated to seek greener pastures because of high taxes, high cost of living and low projected tech job growth in coming years.

Also considered in selecting target cities were current migration patterns to Nashville. The city has long been a preferred destination for young professionals, having ranked #1 for millennial population growth among small tech markets in 2021 by CBRE and #4 best city for recent tech grads in 2020 by DataFox.

“Because Nashville is a vibrant city that offers an incredible music, sports and entertainment scene, as well as easy access to outdoor recreation, companies find that the city is an enormous advantage when it comes to recruiting a qualified, skilled workforce,” said Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “In addition, with no state income tax, Tennessee has a competitive edge over the high-tax states that TechIntoNashville is targeting: California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts.”

Tech workers in the targeted cities will soon see Nashville’s pitch online and in the news media. Created by marketing firms Golden Spiral and the Dalton Agency, the marketing tools employed by TechIntoNashville include: search engine marketing, public relations, organic social media, paid social media, connected TV, online video and online native advertising – all tied to a website, TechIntoNashville.com, where interested technology professionals in the six targeted cities – or from anywhere – can research Nashville tech companies, read stories about tech workers who have already migrated to Music City and sign up to receive information about job openings. Examples of the creative being launched this month are here. The technology council plans to run the campaign for a minimum of three years.

“We look forward to welcoming more talented tech workers to get in on the ground floor of the nation’s next tech center,” Moyer added. “In fact, the tech workers who have already relocated here say that this opportunity to be on the leading edge and to make a real difference in advancing technology is the most compelling reason to be in Nashville today. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to supercharge your tech career.”

About Greater Nashville Technology Council

The Greater Nashville Technology Council is the leading voice and advocate for Middle Tennessee’s $8 billion information technology ecosystem and the 60,000 technology professionals who design, implement, manage and safeguard the technology that powers our region’s economy. The council’s mission is to strengthen and advance the technology sector by bringing together companies, philanthropies, government, universities and talent to create opportunity and growth. For more information, please visit www.technologycouncil.com.

Contacts

Anthony Priwer

apriwer@daltonagency.com
615-515-4891

Julia Motis

jmotis@daltonagency.com
615-515-4894

Small Business Hiring Trends Show Positive Signs for Labor Market

October 8, 2021 (updated October 8, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

The CBIZ Small Business Employment Index reported nominal hiring growth in September as the U.S. continues to confront Delta-variant concerns

CLEVELAND–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The CBIZ Small Business Employment Index (“SBEI”) reported a seasonally adjusted increase of 0.21% in September, reversing reported declines in August and demonstrating a positive indicator for the labor market. The CBIZ SBEI tracks payroll and hiring trends for over 3,700 companies that have 300 or fewer employees, providing broad insight into small business trends.

“The September reading, while reporting relatively unremarkable growth, is a good sign for small business hiring during a month that we typically see a hiring down-turn,” said Philip Noftsinger, Executive Vice President, CBIZ, Inc. “These findings also debunk some of the earlier theories that proposed the enhanced unemployment benefits were the leading factor causing labor shortages.”

The ADP and Moody’s employment report indicated growth in hiring among small-, medium- and large-sized companies. Its September reading showed an overall increase of 568,000 private-sector jobs for the month, a significant increase over the August report, with small businesses accounting for 63,000 of them on a seasonally adjusted, month-over-month basis. The ADP and Moody’s report counts small businesses as companies with 49 or fewer employees, while the CBIZ SBEI uses data from companies with 300 employees or fewer.

The CBIZ SBEI reported robust hiring in the West (2.34%) region driven by a full economic reopening. The Central (0.01%) region showed relatively flat growth while it still battles the Delta variant. The Southeast (0.32%) also reported growth in September. The Northeast (-0.51%) was the only region to report a hiring decline.

On an industry level, the most notable increases were seen in Educational Services, Accommodations and Food Services, Transportation and Non-profit. Arts and Entertainment, Retail, and Healthcare saw decreases in hiring.

“Looking ahead, vaccine mandates might contribute to some hiring declines in regions and industries that are beginning to enforce vaccinations in companies of 100 plus employees,” added Noftsinger. “The September data is reassuring moving into the holidays when we hope to see seasonal growth.”

To view an infographic with data from the employment index, visit the CBIZ website.

Additional takeaways from the September SBEI include:

September’s snapshot: 22% of companies in the index expanded employment, 52% made no change to their headcounts and 26% reduced staffing.

Industries at a glance: Positive hiring gains were seen in Educational Services, Accommodations and Food Services, Non-profit and Transportation. Meanwhile, declines were reported in Arts and Entertainment, Retail, and Healthcare.

Geographical hiring: Regions experienced hiring increases include Central (0.01%), Southeast (0.32%), and West (2.34%) regions. The Northeast (-0.51%) was the only region to experience a hiring decline.

What’s next? Now that enhanced unemployment benefits have been rolled back and more of the population is vaccinated, this might be a boost for hiring trends as more people return to the labor market.

Editor’s note:

(1) The SBEI illustration is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on our work at https://www.cbiz.com.

Follow CBIZ on Twitter at @CBZ or on Facebook.

About CBIZ

CBIZ, Inc. is a leading provider of financial, insurance and advisory services to businesses throughout the United States. Financial services include accounting, tax, government health care consulting, transaction advisory, risk advisory, and valuation services. Insurance services include employee benefits consulting, retirement plan consulting, property and casualty insurance, payroll, and human capital consulting. With more than 100 Company offices in 31 states, CBIZ is one of the largest accounting and insurance brokerage providers in the U.S. For more information, visit www.cbiz.com.

Contacts

Media
Kara Lester

Gregory FCA for CBIZ

Kara@gregoryfca.com
610-228-2104

OutBuro lgbt professional entreprenuer networking online community gay lesbian transgender queer bisexual nonbinary 2

It Can Take Eight Months Before New Starters Become Productive at Work

October 5, 2021 (updated October 5, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Employers must ensure their onboarding programs are more effective

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Questionmark–Employers are taking too long to get new joiners up to speed. While firms are desperate for new modern skills to deal with the challenges of a shifting business landscape, research shows that it can take between three to eight months for employees to become fully productive.¹

The new Questionmark report “Getting the Best on Board” explores the importance of a structured onboarding process to setting staff up for success. Team members that receive effective onboarding are 18 times more likely to feel committed to their organization.² Staff who have a negative onboarding experience are twice as likely to leave.³

Despite the importance of onboarding, the report notes five common challenges that make it difficult to achieve:

Diverse starting points – it is hard for a manager to get a clear read on a person’s previous experience and gaps in their knowledge.
Difficult to measure success – it might take several months for a manager to realize that a new joiner did not learn what they should have during the onboarding process.
Information overload – five to ten departments are often involved in a company’s onboarding process.⁴ Without structured and prioritized content, a new starter will likely be overwhelmed.
Time restraints – for a manager, taking time out for training and inducting a team member may not feel like a priority. But failing to make it one soon proves a false economy.
Remote onboarding – some 37% of respondents said they had experienced a significant problem with the remote onboarding process.⁵

John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said: “Assessing the skills of workers before, during and after the onboarding process can give leaders the information they need to check it is working and unlock performance. Assessments show an individual’s starting point, enabling information and training to be tailored and prioritized. Tests during the process indicate whether the information and procedures are being understood. Tests later down the line show whether the information has stuck.”

Managers can use online assessments to check that new workers have understood crucial policies and procedures such as security and health and safety. With information from assessments, employers can make better decisions about a team member’s job readiness.

Read the full report: “Getting the Best on Board: using staff assessments to get new workers on board and up to speed as quickly as possible, with the modern skills to thrive”.

www.questionmark.com

Ends

Notes to editors

About Questionmark

Questionmark unlocks performance through reliable and secure online assessments.

¹ A range of sources indicate a long period of time that it takes to get new starters working at their most productive. Here are two examples: https://hronboard.me/blog/5-ways-to-fast-track-productivity-in-new-starters/

https://www.intuition.com/how-to-maintain-momentum-for-onboarding-programs/

² https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/infographics/the-incredible-impact-of-effective-onboarding/

³ https://digitate.com/blog/automation-and-ai-superheroes-in-disguise/

⁴ https://typelane.com/6-reasons-employee-onboarding-is-broken/

⁵ https://www.clickboarding.com/impact-of-covid-on-employee-onboarding/

Contacts

US: Kristin Bernor, external relations: Kristin.bernor@questionmark.com +1 203.349.6438

UK: Peter Sigrist: peter.sigrist@fourteenforty.uk +44 7720 056 981

Australia and New Zealand: Chelsea Dowd: chelsea.dowd@questionmark.com +61 2 8073 0527

Half of Active CDOs Say Organizations’ Expectations of the CDO Role Are Misinformed

September 22, 2021 (updated September 22, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Landmark Exasol study defines the changes needed for today’s aspiring Chief Data Officers (CDOs) — and the organizations that recruit them — to prosper. CDO candidates face technical tunnel vision from employers – 73% are from technical backgrounds and only 3% from arts/creative. Two-fifths agree there is currently a lack of support for candidates looking to move into a CDO role

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CDO–Despite high demand for strong data leadership, there is still much confusion and uncertainty about the Chief Data Officer (CDO) role. This is according to a new study launched today by the high-performance analytics database, Exasol, which found half (50%) of CDOs believe the value of their role is not yet recognized in the business world, while a similar number (46%) say that organizations’ expectations for the CDO role are too high and are misinformed.

This may explain why many organizations struggle to find the right candidate to fill vacant CDO roles. And even for those that do, it’s often a brief relationship, with CDOs having the lowest tenure of all C-suite roles. Exasol’s study, which aims to help employers and aspiring CDOs increase their chances of carving out a successful position, supports this in finding 1 in 5 (17%) of the CDOs surveyed had only stayed in their previous role for between one and two years.

High demand and headhunting are of course a factor, but Exasol’s findings highlight other common patterns including: a lack of support/resources (23%); the scope of the role not meeting expectations (20%); a lack of fit with company culture (19%); a lack of a clearly defined role (18%); and members of the C-suite being difficult to work with (14 %) as key issues influencing their desire to move on.

Another factor at play here is that many organizations hiring for a CDO role are prioritizing those with technical expertise. Exasol’s study found that three quarters (73%) of CDOs surveyed came from a technical background, whilst just 3% were from an arts/creative background.

“Organizations need help to overcome the roadblocks to success and embrace a CDO who’s role is no longer about simply governing data – but liberating it and improving data literacy across all levels of the organization. In this respect, I believe tunnel vision towards only hiring candidates from technical backgrounds is resulting in a major missed opportunity,” said Peter Jackson, Exasol’s Chief Data and Analytics Officer. “From my own experience, candidates from diverse backgrounds, such as HR, marketing and philosophy, can bring a lot to the CDO position because they are inclined to focus on people, rather than just the technology. Non-technical candidates are often great data storytellers too as they can translate data into business results that engage and influence stakeholders and improve data literacy in the process.”

What’s clear from the report is that change is needed for todays, and future, aspiring CDO’s to prosper. For example, 60% of CDOs surveyed agreed that there is a lack of support for people looking to move into the role, and 63% say that the education system isn’t doing enough to show the appeal of a data career to the next generation. By creating greater alignment on what the CDO role is, raising awareness of the value of often overlooked skills and traits, and making greater strides to tackle the common challenges and blockers to success, there is real opportunity to create positive change.

“At a time when data-driven companies consistently outperform their peers, strong data leadership can make the difference between success and failure. Data holds astonishing amounts of potential value for businesses, but none of that value is accessible until it’s translated into the insights that lead to business outcomes. A greater open dialogue between CDOs and prospective employers is the best way to address the current disconnect and create a real mutual opportunity for positive change that will allow everyone to prosper.”

Methodology

In creating The journey to CDO: how to succeed in the most influential role of the decade report, Exasol commissioned Vitreous World to survey 250 active CDOs from across the UK, the US and Germany. This data was qualified with in-depth interviews. Further qualitative interviews were carried out with both established CDOs and the next cohort of CDOs, thanks to Savannah Group, a global executive search firm specializing in functional C-suite appointments, and the Carruthers and Jackson CDO Summer School, run by Exasol’s Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Peter Jackson, alongside data expert Caroline Carruthers.

About Exasol

Exasol was founded in 2000 with the vision to transform how organizations use data. Today, Exasol’s analytics database – the fastest in the world – is trusted by the world’s most ambitious organizations. With offices in several locations across the US and Europe, Exasol is committed to delivering flexible, scalable and powerful analytics solutions to customers wherever they are, in the cloud or on-premises.

Exasol – accelerating insights from the world’s data.

Learn more at: www.exasol.com and follow us on social media: LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contacts

PR:
Carla Gutierrez, Global Head of Communications at Exasol
Email: Carla.gutierrez@exasol.com

SAIC Announces New Industry-Leading Employee Benefits For 2022

September 20, 2021 (updated September 20, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Company to take bold steps in expanding flexibility, holiday and other unprecedented benefits aimed at creating a differentiated employee experience that attracts and retains top talent

RESTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) today announced a new array of expanded and additional employee benefits for calendar year 2022, designed to provide greater work flexibility, commemorate the Juneteenth holiday and enhance support for employees and their families. These investments are aligned with SAIC’s strategy to deliver an industry-leading employee experience for top talent.

“SAIC is committed to taking meaningful steps to provide an exceptional experience for our employees that further establish our company as the employer of choice in our industry,” said Nazzic Keene, CEO at SAIC. “I am proud that we are providing these market-leading benefits in support of the well-being of our employees and their families. We are increasing our investments in an area of highest priority – our people – because we know an engaged and diverse workforce is vital to the growth and success of our business.”

“Our employees are a critical part of what differentiates SAIC, which is why we are laser-focused on investing back in our people,” said Michelle O’Hara, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at SAIC. “As we optimize our benefits programs with the lens of the future of work, we are embracing and accelerating opportunities to maximize flexibility, grow a diverse and talented workforce and foster an inclusive culture.”

Beginning in 2022, SAIC is enhancing its employee benefits to include the following measures:

Expanding flexible work– In addition to supporting greater telecommuting and hybrid work options, SAIC is introducing a 4-day workweek and other alternative work schedule options for its employees.
Adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday – Official recognition of Juneteenth is an important demonstration of SAIC’s core value to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, both inside and outside the company. SAIC is honored to be one of the first in the industry to recognize this historically significant day as a paid holiday.
Increasing paid family leave– To further support parents and multi-generational families, SAIC is substantially raising paid family leave for the care of a child, spouse or parent and is offering company-subsized backup child care and elder care.
Keeping medical costs down – As healthcare costs continue to rise in the U.S., SAIC is fully covering the cost of increases to employee premiums in the company’s medical insurance plans and holding employee premiums flat for the second year in a row.

For more information on SAIC’s commitment to employees, visit www.saic.com/who-we-are/life-at-saic.

About SAIC

SAIC^® is a premier Fortune 500® technology integrator driving our nation’s technology transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian, and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, digital, artificial intelligence, and mission solutions. Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective, and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers’ missions.

We are more than 26,500 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is core to our values and important to attract and retain exceptional talent. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has pro forma annual revenues of approximately $7.1 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release contain or are based on “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guidance,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Legal Proceedings” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC’s expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others.

Contacts

Media:

Brad Bass
240.418.0168 | public.relations@saic.com

OutBuro lgbt professional entreprenuer networking online community gay lesbian transgender queer bisexual nonbinary

Clark Construction Group Partners with Other Industry Leaders to Launch Construction Inclusion Week

August 25, 2021 (updated August 25, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

BETHESDA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Clark Construction Group is proud to announce the company’s participation as a founding member of Construction Inclusion Week, an initiative to build awareness, celebrate diversity and equity, and foster inclusion across the construction industry.

In 2020, Clark joined fellow general contractors DPR, Turner, Gilbane, Mortenson, and McCarthy, to form the “Time for Change” consortium to identify ways to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the construction industry. Through this effort, Construction Inclusion Week was created. The inaugural week-long event, which kicks off on October 18, 2021, is open to the entire industry.

The theme for this year’s Construction Inclusion Week is “Building the Foundation for Inclusion.” Topics will include leadership commitment and accountability, unconscious bias, supplier diversity, jobsite culture, and community service and outreach.

“As business leaders, we have a unique opportunity to leverage our collective voices and resources to identify and solve key industry and societal challenges,” said Robby Moser, president and chief executive officer for Clark Construction. “Clark is honored to be part of this industrywide journey to build and foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, where our people and communities can thrive.”

Clark is continuously evaluating ways to strengthen its Inclusion & Diversity strategy, which is anchored by four key tenets.

Culture – Continually develop a positive, inclusive, and respectful workplace
Growth – Attract, retain, grow, and promote a diverse mix of talent at all levels of the organization
Resources – Provide the resources and support for its employees and company to thrive
Engagement – Positively impact communities by providing access to opportunity

These pillars inform the company’s efforts to foster meaningful change and yield a more diverse and inclusive business, industry, and society.

Like Construction Safety Week, Construction Inclusion Week demonstrates how a united industry can collectively set expectations for behaviors that foster positive and lasting change. Participating firms will have access to materials and resources such as toolkits and conversation guides to bring awareness to diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts for jobsites, teams, and organizations.

Visit www.constructioninclusionweek.com to sign up and learn more.

About Clark Construction Group

Clark Construction Group is one of the nation’s most experienced and respected providers of building and civil construction services companies with annual revenues of approximately $5 billion. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the company has offices strategically located to serve clients throughout the country. For more information, visit www.clarkconstruction.com.

Contacts

MEDIA CONTACT:
Carly Thayer

+1 (202) 756-7244

carly.thayer@allisonpr.com

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Plan to Increase Employee Benefits to Spur Hiring, Growth

August 25, 2021 (updated August 25, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Principal^® study finds increased employee benefits, including financial wellness and retirement planning, continue to be key to recovery

DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Principal Financial Group^® reported today an increased focus on key employee well-being initiatives and how benefits are helping employers cope with the pandemic fluctuation as they also make businesses more competitive for the next phase of recovery and growth. Over 90% of surveyed businesses plan to increase at least one benefit in the next 12 months¹.

While recent variants of COVID-19 could bring extra hurdles to the recovery efforts small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are putting in place, the latest Principal Financial Well-Being Index℠ results show most businesses (82%) expect their financials to keep improving over the next 12 months and are ready to move forward when given the chance.

The pulse survey of 500 employers from companies with two to 10,000 employees spans a diverse array of industries, with more than half of the employers falling within finance/insurance, professional/scientific/technical, construction, manufacturing, and information management. Data shows that almost 70% of surveyed businesses have improved financials, compared to this time last year², and 84% are comfortable with their cash flow despite the continuing impact of the pandemic.

Greater competition for talent means more benefits and digital access

With the resiliency that small and medium-sized businesses have shown during the last 18 months and a national increase in hiring³, greater competition for talent is underway. Sixty-three percent of businesses reported being fully operational, driving the need for additions to their workforce, and more businesses say they’re hiring, from fewer than one-third in March to nearly half in June.

“As businesses start to ramp up operations, employers are dealing with the complex American labor shortage and a workforce empowered to determine where they want to work and what they want from an employer, making benefit offerings more critical,” says Amy Friedrich, president of U.S. Insurance Solutions at Principal^®.

The significant role employee benefits play in this recovery seems more apparent than ever. Employers are choosing certain benefits to address specific employee needs. A list of 18 benefits tracked by the survey—everything from retirement savings to pet insurance—made gains. A greater percentage of businesses plan to increase telehealth (42%), healthcare benefits (41%), and mental health/well-being services (38%) in the next 12 months.

The focused efforts to increase benefits are accompanied by changes to the way businesses are presenting them to their workforce. Sixty-five percent of businesses are improving digital access to benefits for employees, while only 14% lack any digital options. According to those surveyed, this digitalization addresses the need to help employees better understand their benefits (71%), onboarding employees online (62%), and the need of reducing paper (40%).

Friedrich explains that the unprecedented events of the last 18 months forced businesses to adapt in order to survive, and now they must become more competitive recruiters to grow again. “Today, winning the differentiation battle has gone from experimenting with e-commerce to supporting a remote workforce and offering a full suite of resources at their fingertips, including benefits.”

Financial wellness and retirement plans trending with employers

There is broad agreement among employers that investing in financial wellness programs is also key to recovery. About 70% of employers agree with the positives of financial wellness programs, ranging from improving employee long-term financial planning to helping attract and retain talent. But only 62% of businesses currently offer financial wellness benefit programs.

“We have seen increased interest in financial wellness programs and guidance from clients over the past year, with a growing understanding that these offerings are essential not just for employees, but also for business success,” said Renee Schaaf, president of Retirement & Income Solutions at Principal. “Offering impactful financial wellness solutions can be daunting, which is why it’s so important that businesses of all sizes and industries have access to simple, customizable solutions.”

Forty-five percent of businesses see access to a financial professional as the most useful financial wellness offering for employees (out of 25 options in the survey). That is followed by tax preparation services (35%), identity theft protection (34%), and savings programs for higher education (34%).

Employers also acknowledged the importance of retirement plans to their workforce. Over 80%⁴ of businesses see retirement plan offerings as essential in the attraction and retention of talent, and 74% of employers feel it is their role to help employees prepare for retirement.

This desire for retirement plan offerings comes at a time when lawmakers are advocating for increased incentives and programs to help small and medium-sized businesses with retirement offerings. Many of these businesses, however, are not aware of these programs or their positive impact.

Of employers with less than 500 employees, a little under half⁵ are aware of proposed legislation known as The Securing a Strong Retirement Act (SECURE 2.0) in Congress that could help them implement or expand retirement offerings. In contrast, 90% of businesses with 500 to 10,000 employees know about the proposed legislation.

“We have a window of opportunity for businesses to get support in implementing retirement plans to aid their employees overall financial security,” Schaaf said. “We are working to provide the best possible retirement solutions to small and medium-sized businesses as well as educate them on the options available to them now and in the future.”

For more survey results, view the full infographic report (PDF).

About the Principal Financial Well-Being Index℠

The Principal Financial Well-Being Index℠ surveys business owners, decision makers and business leaders aged 21 and over who work at companies with 2 – 10,000 employees. The nation-wide survey, commissioned since 2012, examines the financial well-being of American workers and business employers. In response to COVID-19, the Well-Being Index was transformed from an annual survey to a quarterly pulse, offering three waves, revisiting questions and measuring sentiment regarding timely issues in the small and medium-sized business marketplace. The survey was commissioned by Principal and conducted online by Dynata from June 14-22, 2021 with a total of 501 participants. The research report focuses on providing a holistic perspective on key trends and timely issues in the small and medium business market.

Principal developed a dedicated portal for employers designed to help business handle the effects of COVID-19 and a challenging economy in the months ahead. To learn more visit Navigating Business Now.

About Principal Financial Group^®

Principal Financial Group^® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 18,000 employees^[1] passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 45.5 million customers^[2] plan, insure, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, improve our planet, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal^®is proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^[3], a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a Top 10 “Best Places to Work in Money Management^[4].” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and purpose at principal.com.

^[1] As of June 30, 2021.

^[2] As of June 30, 2021.

^[3] Ethisphere Institute, 2021.

^[4] Pensions & Investments, 2020.

Dynata is not an affiliate of any company of the Principal Financial Group®

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Co. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., 800-247-1737, member SIPC and/or independent broker/-dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group^®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Principal Global Investors leads global asset management and is a member of the Principal Financial Group^®.

¹ Principal Financial Well-Being Index℠ Wave Two, 2021.

² 44% in June 2020

³ According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report. August 2021.

⁴ 83%

⁵ 49% of businesses with less than 500 employees.

Contacts

Paula McCarty, mccarty.paula@principal.com, 515-248-0417

Tag: Talent Shortage

Skillsoft’s Global Knowledge Skills and Salary Report Finds Three in Four IT Departments Face Critical Skills Gaps

Nearly 2-in-5 Hospitality Workers Considering or Have Plans to Leave Their Job in the Next Two Months

Pandemic Drives Shortage of Technology Skills

Beware Big Tech Cities: The City That Amazon, Oracle and Facebook Chose for Major Hubs Is Coming for Your Tech Workers

Small Business Hiring Trends Show Positive Signs for Labor Market

It Can Take Eight Months Before New Starters Become Productive at Work

Half of Active CDOs Say Organizations’ Expectations of the CDO Role Are Misinformed

SAIC Announces New Industry-Leading Employee Benefits For 2022

Clark Construction Group Partners with Other Industry Leaders to Launch Construction Inclusion Week

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Plan to Increase Employee Benefits to Spur Hiring, Growth

what can i do in groups?

how can i participate and remain private?

can i be my full self on outbüro?

men’s only groups

women’s only groups

content categories

recent members

recent media

community hashtags