Martha Heller
Columnist

6 steps to finding the talent your business needs

feature
Jul 30, 20121 min

Here's how CIOs are meeting the challenge of a small high-tech pool by making the most of the teams they have

Like it or not, we are in the midst of yet another technology talent crisis, and when your CEO is demanding more out of your team, you really need good people. But here’s the paradox: The talent pipeline is being squeezed at both ends. Computer science enrollments are down, and an entire generation of experienced technologists is ready to retire.

Recruiting from this limited pool requires money, time and effort. Especially if you are in a midsize company, you’d be better off making the most of the team you have. Here, three CIOs share their successes.

[ Get sage advice on IT careers and management from Bob Lewis in InfoWorld’s Advice Line blog and newsletter. | Get expert advice about planning and implementing your BYOD strategy with InfoWorld’s 29-page “Mobile and BYOD Deep Dive” PDF special report. ]

Reed Sheard is CIO of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. While Oprah Winfrey certainly enjoys her home nearby, Sheard finds it difficult to recruit talent to the expensive area.

To continue reading, register here to become an Insider . You’ll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

Martha Heller

Martha Heller is a widely followed thought leader on technology leadership talent and is currently CEO of Heller, a premier executive search firm specializing in technology executive search. Over the course of her accomplished career, Martha has become an authoritative voice in executive search. She has recruited hundreds of CIOs, CTOs, architects, and other senior technology positions, and has become a trusted advisor to executives around the country. She’s also been a contributor to CIO.com for more than two decades.

She was founder of the CIO Executive Council, a professional organization for Global 1000 Chief Information Officers, and is the author of The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership and Be the Business: CIOs in the New Era of IT. Her e-newsletter, The Heller Report, has become a must-read for the industry.

Prior to founding Heller, Martha, based in the Boston area, led the IT Leadership practice at ZRG Partners, a global executive search firm. She received a BA in English from Hamilton College and an MA in English from SUNY Stony Brook.

More from this author