Monday Morning Impact – January 18

Survey: IT Salary Growth Stalled in 2020

IT Salaries were flat in 2020, according to a recent report by Janco Associates, an international consulting firm that follows issues of concern CIOs and CFOs. Most salary increases were limited to 1% or less.

Middle managers in IT organizations felt the burden particularly strongly, according to the report.

“The one factor that stood out the most was the reduction or flat-out elimination of discretionary bonuses,” said Janco CEO M. Victor Janulaitis. “That added to the fact that SMBs, where most IT pros have positions, were the most adversely effected by the shutdowns. That drove many companies to manage costs by limiting hiring and salary increases.”

“On the bright side, there has been a pick-up in development activities associated with initiatives which support Work-from-Home telecommuting and related mobile applications,” he continued. “That could be the spark that drives any growth in salaries and hiring in the near term. However, in our opinion, salaries for IT pros will remain flat for at least the first and second quarters of 2021.”

The company also found that hiring of many positions at all levels of IT management were put on hold, with the possible exception of key replacements and employees with selected skills to support C-Level mandated development activities. More than 115,000 IT professionals were laid-off or terminated in April and May due to the Covid-19 shut-downs, which applied additional downward pressure to wage levels. The report says there were approximately 84,000 fewer IT jobs in December than at the start of the year.

Janco interviewed over 100 CIOs in the last several weeks as part of its data-gathering process for the survey.

Channel Impact^®
CIOs tend to be more cautious in managing budgets, salaries, and staffing – at least until the economic picture improves.

Gartner Predicts Determination and Sensitivity to Become Key Criteria in CIO Selection

Seventy percent of hiring processes of new CIOs rank individual determination and sensitivity as two critical personal characteristics in 2021, according to Gartner, Inc. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shift the landscape for how global CIOs manage, collaborate and respond to their stakeholders, so too does the demand for strong leadership and core emotional dexterity competencies.

“CEOs are looking for executives who are capable of weathering crises,” said Daniel Sanchez-Reina, senior research director at Gartner. “They are still unsettled about the future and want determined CIOs who make and implement timely decisions, while displaying emotional dexterity to be tactful and supportive.”

Determination refers to a firmness of resoluteness as well as the ability to convert decisions into actions. Sensitivity is defined as the quality of feeling empathetic toward others’ difficulties and acting accordingly.

According to Gartner, demand for the determination competency among new hires increased 34% in 2020 versus 2019, and sensitivity increased 92% in 2020 as compared to 2019. Both competencies are in the top 10 of increasing demand in recruitment processes, which will extend to existing employees as well.

According to Gartner, the vast majority of IT and business leaders say that the most important skills needed in 10 years will be soft skills. The survey results showed that above average* CIOs are 30% more likely to practice gratitude as a self-development approach, putting them in a better position to deal with the fear and doubt that complex change brings.

Transparency ranked as the most commonly admired emotional dexterity leadership competency, followed by authentic communications and collaboration.

The Gartner CIO Emotional Intelligence Competencies Survey was conducted online from 14 through 28 September 2020, with 93 members of the Gartner CIO Research Circle, a Gartner-managed panel, across various industries.

Channel Impact^®
CIOs who develop emotional dexterity in the digital era can improve their self-awareness, self-management and relationships during times of crisis.

Commvault Appoints John Tavares as New VP, Global Channels and Alliances

Commvault, a New Jersey-based enterprise software leader, has appointed John Tavares as the company’s new Vice President, Global Channel and Alliances.

In his new role, Tavares will be responsible for overseeing the growth of Commvault’s Global Partner Organization and strengthening the company’s relationships with partners worldwide. Tavares joins Commvault from Dell EMC, where he worked in a variety of sales leadership roles, first for EMC and continuing through the merger with Dell, for the last 25 years. During his tenure with Dell EMC, Tavares grew the company’s datacenter business encompassing software, hardware, and services, and also increased revenue year-over-year.

“I am excited to bring my long-standing sales expertise to Commvault and aid the company in continuing to grow its reputation for providing trusted enterprise-grade data management solutions across the global channel,” said Tavares. “The Global Partner Organization has done some amazing things, especially during such uncertain times this past year. I look forward to building on this momentum and creating long-lasting partnerships that will truly benefit our customers.”

With this change, Commvault’s former Vice President of the Global Partner Organization, Mercer Rowe, will be taking on the role of Area Vice President for Commvault’s business in Japan. He will be focused on growing Metallic, Commvault’s SaaS division, in the region and further strengthening Commvault’s presence in Asia Pacific.

Channel Impact^®
Tavares brings a wealth of expertise to his new role at Commvault.