Preparing your staff as the baby boomers retire

For many CIOs, hiring and recruiting--like cleaning the house or mowing the lawn-- is not a favorite activity. But we all know how critical it is to hire the right people for our team. In today's issue, we'll take a look at whether CIOs are adequately planning for the next few years, when baby boomers will begin exiting the workforce. According to a Computerworld survey, more than half of the senior IT managers surveyed are not doing a thing in terms of planning to fill that void. Despite that fact, there are steps executives can take to begin the process. I was recently speaking with a CIO of a large multinational company who said that he plans to hire 50 percent of his staff next year directly out of college. He's hoping to train these young people in both technology and business processes that are unique to the company. He also hopes that some of his older employees will pass along their knowledge before retiring in the next few years.

Also in this issue, we highlight a study that says that telecommuting is on the rise (although only slightly) for IT workers. This, of course, is just one more option to consider as you look for the best people--both domestically and globally. Let me know how you're planning to hire as the baby boomers begin to retire and I'll print your thoughts in a future Editor's Corner.

Finally, we're currently hosting two exclusive features on our website that were contributed by experts in their respective IT fields. George Clement and Richard Lansford of Intel detail how their company's IT department lowered costs, increased user productivity and boosted IT efficiency--all by making the PC a business asset. Meanwhile, Amichai Lesser of Shunra makes a case for network testing labs, asserting that they should be a critical piece of any CIO's disaster plan. I think you'll find both of these features very informative, so head on over to the FierceCIO website and check them out. Enjoy the issue. -Patty