CIOs scouring the jobs pages

UK CIOs are still keen on landing that next big role but there are signs more of them are being forced to sit tight and stay put as economic gloom casts a shadow over the jobs market.

The annual CIO survey from recruitment company Harvey Nash has found the majority of Blighty's CIOs are scouring the jobs pages, with nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of IT leaders actively looking for a new role or ready to welcome a call from a head hunter. Such is the desire for pastures new that nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) say they expect to have left their current job within two years.

However, fewer IT heads have made a move in the past 12 months than had done by the same point in 2007 - so Harvey Nash predicts the rate of senior IT leadership churn will be lower than CIOs might hope over the coming year.

The 2008 survey found more than a third (35 per cent) of respondents expect to be in a new job within a year, with just a tiny fraction (seven per cent) stating they would not currently consider taking up a job elsewhere.

But while a similar percentage (34 per cent) of last year's respondents expected to change jobs within 12 months, less than half of those (15 per cent) are actually in new roles a year on, according to the 2008 survey. This is a drop on the 23 per cent of CIOs who reported changing jobs last year - suggesting economic gloom is filtering through to the upper echelons of the jobs market.

Matt Smith, director of UK regions at Harvey Nash, said in a statement: "Our analysis over the last few years has shown a significant amount of job browsing by senior IT professionals but decreasing levels of actual movement.

"As the economic climate continues to worsen, we expect nervousness among CIOs and IT leaders will result in fewer seeking new positions and a subsequent reduction in the number of empty roles. Less movement in the market means more stability for employers and fewer disruptions from the churn of senior leadership."

But while employers may be happy to learn they might get to keep their CIO for longer than they otherwise would, they should take care to ensure IT chiefs are motivated, as the survey shows a steady decrease in the number of respondents finding their job fulfilling or very fulfilling - down from 84 per cent in 2006, to 74 per cent in 2008.

The number of IT chiefs finding their jobs unfulfilling has also increased - from less than a fifth (17 per cent) in 2006, to a quarter (25 per cent) of respondents in 2008.

The CIO survey, which was conducted in partnership with PA Consulting, is based on the responses of more than 360 UK CIOs and senior tech professionals.