More Than Enough Work to Go Around - More Than One Third of CIOs Surveyed Say
Their IT Departments Are Understaffed

TORONTO , Jan. 12 /CNW/ - A new survey suggests many technology executives may share a common new year wish: more support. Thirty-seven per cent of chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed said their IT departments are understaffed in relation to current workloads.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It was based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CIOs from companies across Canada with 100 or more employees.

CIOs were asked, "How would you describe the staffing level of your IT department in relation to current workloads?" Their responses:

    
    Somewhat understaffed .......................................... 37%
    At the appropriate staff level ................................. 59%
    Somewhat overstaffed ...........................................  4%
                                                                    ----
                                                                    100%
    

Within the professional services and business services sectors, CIOs noted an even greater discrepancy between staff levels and workloads, with nearly half (46 per cent), respectively, reporting that their departments are understaffed.

"Many technology departments experienced cuts to their staffing levels and have been challenged to manage workload demands," said Geoffrey Thompson , vice president of Robert Half Technology. "While companies are often able to operate with lean teams in the short term, longer periods of understaffing can harm the overall productivity and morale of the organization."

To keep projects on track and prevent burnout, Thompson recommends that IT managers bring in extra support, if only for a short duration. "Contract professionals alleviate the demands of workload peaks and major projects, allowing existing staff to concentrate on crucial initiatives. Observing professionals in the work environment is also an excellent way to evaluate them for full-time opportunities."

    
    About the Survey
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The Canadian survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. The survey is based on more than 270 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of Canadian companies with 100 or more employees.

    
    About Robert Half Technology
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With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at www.rht.com.

For further information: Robert Half Technology, Kristie Perrotte, [phone], [email protected]