human resources

Can Gen Y IT pros weather the recession?

Judi Hasson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:12:26 -0500

Are Generation Y professionals equipped to handle the economic downturn and possible layoffs? Some may think they are ill prepared, but workplace and Gen Y experts tell CIO.com that this generation may actually be better equipped than Generation X and Boomers to deal with hard times.

The reasons are many. For one, they don't have the feeling feeling of loyalty to their employers that have bound members of other generations to their jobs.

"What we know around Gen Y workers is that they're not bound to one place, one employer, one job," says Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder VP of human resources. "In a time of uncertainty, that might help them work through what's happening with less emotional trauma.''

Secondly, they work cheap, and with higher-paid workers often the targets of layoffs, Gen Y professionals may be better positioned to survive. In addition, this younger generation may have college loans to repay but they are not saddled mortgage payments or daycare expenses. And many young Gen Y professionals still live at home, which makes surviving a layoff financially easier.

For more about Gen Y:
- check out this CIO.com article

The expanding role of the CIO

Thu, 17 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

More midmarket CIOs are taking on other parts of the business, including finance, facilities management, sales and human resources. That's because today, CIOs are viewed as people who are running a shared service, so executives are looking at other shared services in the company and asking why CIOs can't handle them. There is plenty of logic to the additional roles assigned to IT and CIOs--such outside roles can mainstream IT in the eyes of the rest of the business, and can help legitimize IT as a critical component of the business. Experts believe that the expanding role of the CIO is a good thing, as long as those new roles fit strategically with the overall goals and responsibilities of the CIO. For example, CIOs with responsibility for business process outsourcing may think more about how can IT help the business side of the house.

Learn more about the changing role of the CIO:
- read the article at SearchCIO

ALSO:
- read this on how the CIO role is expanding beyond technology
- this on moving beyond the CIO role
- this on the changing role of the modern CIO
- and this on CIOs managing business and IT

Using PPM to rationalize software investments

Wed, 16 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Although it's not the primary use of project portfolio management (PPM), it can be useful to use a PPM approach for rationalizing software investments. First, make sure you have a good understanding of the business area's work flow. Create a technical architectural blueprint and direction, which is critical to successful software evaluation, and understand the technical architectural target, which is required to enable migration from one application to another. Group applications are needed to satisfy the business needs of a specified business area and to evaluate them within the context of business value and technical quality. Then, define the software modernization strategy by prioritizing each project and by placing projects on a high-level timeline to illustrate sequencing, interdependence and estimated delivery time frames. Next, estimate the resources required to execute the plan in terms of internal and external IT human resources, business unit human resources, and capital expenditures. Finally, bring everything together into a structured strategy document that describes a comprehensive execution approach that manages all of the individually identified projects as a coordinated program.

Learn more about starting a software portfolio management practice with PPM:
- read the article at CIO Update

ALSO:
- read this on IT portfolio management
- and this on the key to PPM success

Trends in business intelligence

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Companies are purchasing data analytics and other business intelligence-related tools in record numbers with the intention of putting them in the hands of users, outside the confines of the finance, sales and marketing, customer service, and IT departments. By spreading BI technology to more business areas such as human resources, sales and knowledge workers, enterprises are moving toward a higher level of data sharing and collaboration. It will also be more useful for other business functions such as compliance and performance monitoring. To meet these new needs, BI vendors are simplifying their products. Use of BI software as a service is another growing trend, and many are likely to invest in SaaS to fill certain BI needs.

Read more about business intelligence trends:
- read the article at Optimize

ALSO:
- read this on giving business intelligence and analytics their due
- this on how vision and leadership lead to BI success
- this on the basics of BI
- and this on intelligent business intelligence

Poll: Businesses don't enforce network abuse policies

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Most CIOs believe that other departments, such as Human Resources, don't understand the role they must play in enforcing network policies and educating employees about acceptable uses of the corporate network. One problem is that HR policies sometimes conflict with data protection requirements. For example, allowing one user to use another's account isn't often seen as a serious issue but should be considered egregious. HR also finds it difficult to understand the technical difficulties of managing logs, white lists and spam filters, while still expecting employees to be able to access internet sites that may contain risks. The key is educating HR.

Read more about enforcing network abuse policies:
- read the article at Silicon

Tech tools can foster more efficient HR operations

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:01:39 -0500

In the quest to save costs and illustrate how IT can positively impact the bottom line, IT managers might want to take a long hard look at their company's human resources and the new technologies that are not only easing HR management headaches but tightening compliance efforts and securing confidential employee data. Web-based tools eliminate the pesky upgrade requirements, and outsourcing administration work can benefit an enterprise on many levels.

For more on putting IT to work in HR:
- read this article at BPM Today