We spoke with Brigitte Herrmann, owner of Inspirocon Potential Consulting, about changing requirements for IT specialists and leaders in times of increasing complexity in business IT.
As the complexity of IT systems in companies increases, do the requirements for IT leaders and specialists also change?
Definitely yes. Due to increasing technologization and also due to globalization, flexibilization, individualization, etc., all company processes and workflows are becoming more complex, and our entire work environment is increasingly IT-driven. This automatically raises the requirements for each individual. People need, on the one hand, a high affinity for these new digital systems and must also develop a clear awareness of the growing complexity and the possible implications in their area. However, they need guidelines on how to deal with this more digital and complex work reality. Just consider the information overload to which we are all constantly exposed through countless channels. It is becoming increasingly important to develop efficient filtering mechanisms so that we can identify the relevant and correct information from the masses and variety of information for each process or project. And this is where IT leaders and specialists come in. They can no longer retreat into their specific areas but will increasingly function as tutors or interpreters. Their task will be to demonstrate how to deal with the growing digital complexity and how processes can be improved in this context. Therefore, in the search and hiring of new employees - especially in the IT sector - it is becoming increasingly important to attract individuals who not only possess a pronounced "complexity competence" but also have the ability and desire to make complex structures understandable to others and guide them through. Perhaps in the future, IT specialists will also sit directly in other departments such as human resources and will then need to bring interest and understanding of their specific topics to ensure the success of digital transformation. In my opinion, there is another important aspect to consider: the higher the complexity, the more important it is for these "digital guides" to not lose sight of the essentials. Otherwise, there is a great risk of professionalizing the wrong things. We need to ensure that we harness complexity to our advantage.
Are companies adequately prepared for these challenges?
Unfortunately, no. Company processes are already much more complex than before, and now many companies are under pressure to quickly engage with trending topics such as digitalization, etc., and create the conditions to stay competitive in the market. While I am convinced that very few companies consciously ignore these challenges, I have more than ever the impression that most are still overwhelmed by the demands of our so-called VUCA world, characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Why? Because processes, strategies, etc., are still based on outdated, rigid structures instead of being future-oriented. For example, in the IT sector, selection processes still rely on academics, even though it is clear that genuine "full-blooded IT experts" are not trained in our universities but are largely self-taught. Especially HR departments have become rather comfortable, especially in recruiting in recent years, and have thus missed or underestimated some relevant developments, such as the shift from an employer's to an employee's market. This brings us to the core problem of setting priorities. If a medium-sized entrepreneur complains about not finding skilled workers, but employer branding and professionally established personnel search processes are not at the top of the to-do list, then no one should be surprised that the structures do not change. Ultimately, success lies in finding and attracting people who have the relevant competencies, experiences, and talents, especially in terms of coping with complexity. This paradigm shift still needs to take place in many minds. And a professional change management should follow this change in thinking, where leaders, together with their team, initiate and implement these change processes. The current results of the Hays HR Report 2017 also indicate that the respondents consider the most important challenges in acquiring competencies for the digital world to be preparing employees for changes and strengthening individual responsibility. Employers know that they increasingly need to swim with the tide of digital and complex structures, or else they will sink. Employees also know that they can benefit from digitalization and see the increase in efficiency. To connect these two - essentially identical - goals, the right leaders and specialists, especially in IT, are essential. Companies are also faced with the challenge of changing the corresponding job profiles and quickly passing this information on to the education systems.
What is more important: Personality or expertise?
In recent decades, the focus in personnel selection and development has clearly been on technical competencies and qualifications. This focus was also the most relevant selection criterion during my active time as a headhunter. Interestingly, the term "competence" is still not clearly defined. In the academic environment, there are still educational programs that continuously revolve around this topic. In general, competence is understood as the presence of knowledge and skills to solve certain tasks, as well as the willingness to do so. And here lies the dilemma. What is today's knowledge worth in such a fast-paced and increasingly complex world tomorrow? Of course, competencies are often important prerequisites for performing a job. However, purely technical competencies are no longer sufficient. What has long been recognized as at least an equally important factor are experiential and life competencies - in other words, a person's personality and potential. This is because while expertise can be learned and expanded at any time, personality is a relatively stable factor. People do not fundamentally change. That is why it is more important than ever that personality takes center stage. The recruiting question "What does he/she need to know today?" is being replaced by "What does he/she need to know tomorrow?" What potential does the employee have to support the company's success both today and tomorrow? And what personality traits? The term personality describes the individual characteristics of a person that distinguish them in their unique combination from others. These personality traits are usually enduring and relatively stable characteristics that distinguish a person. This also includes strengths and talents. Current research findings in the field of positive psychology, for example, show that the alignment of personality and job, mainly the alignment of individual character strengths with job requirements, is crucial for success. This also applies to the IT sector, even though fundamental expertise is, of course, essential here. Personal qualities such as flexibility, judgment, creativity, endurance, and self-regulation will be more crucial than ever in filling technical and leadership positions in the future.
As individual areas of responsibility become increasingly specialized, management can no longer know in detail who the right person would be for vacant positions - how can the knowledge of specialist departments be systematically incorporated?
Ultimately, this question can be answered quite simply: by actively involving people in specialist departments in the recruitment processes. This automatically has several advantages. After all, future colleagues and employees or direct supervisors know best who they really need in their team and to what extent the job profile of the position to be filled will change in the medium and long term. A very practical profile can then be created, for example, specifying which expertise is an immediate "must-have" or more of a future necessity, which personality best fits the team, and with what potential they can positively support the team's success. Crucial is a close cooperation between recruiters and the specialist department because the more specific both sides know and, above all, understand who is really needed, the greater the success in recruitment. Employers who consciously listen to the opinions of the team, meaning colleagues, employees, or even apprentices, in selection processes have consistently had good experiences with this approach. By doing so, they leverage the expertise of specialist departments and the general intuition of people, and following the principle of collective intelligence. Systematizing such teamwork is clearly a matter for the management. A regular fixed appointment is sufficient, as long as there is continuous and transparent communication on an equal footing. And ideally, this should happen across all levels and generations.
Regarding generations. Are companies missing out on the potential of older employees?
One of the most persistent stereotypes in personnel management is undoubtedly the chronic underestimation of older employees. While, during my time as a headhunter, the age limit has shifted somewhat, older applicants and employees are still often sidelined in favor of the "fresh breeze" that young, motivated newcomers are supposed to bring. However, this is a fallacy in several respects. Fresh energy in the form of high commitment, different perspectives, and new trends among younger generations is, of course, important for a company that wants to be innovative and future-proof. But equally important is the know-how, the wealth of knowledge, the more pronounced basic understanding, and above all, the life experience that older employees have to offer. Studies show that employees aged 50 and above are more stress-resistant, experienced, and team-oriented because they no longer primarily focus on their careers and instead are willing to pass on their valuable knowledge to younger colleagues. Research has also proven that performance and innovation are less related to biological age but rather depend on the extent to which people are supported in their personal development and can thus unfold their full potential. Since the 50-plus group will further increase in importance for the job market in the future, as there are not enough young qualified professionals to take their place, intelligent and future-oriented HR policies should consciously leverage these opportunities instead of wasting them. Companies that establish a cross-generational and equal collaboration create the best possible synergy of experiential knowledge and "fresh energy" for business success.
What can companies do in general to better leverage the potential of their employees?
In contrast to existing competencies, the concept of potential refers to something future-oriented, generally the ability to develop. It
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