How do you hire the right Virtual CIO?
This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.
In my recent blog post, Is Your Business A Good Fit for a vCIO? I talked about the reasons you’d want to engage a virtual CIO. If you discovered, yes your business would be a great fit, where do you go from there? How do you hire the right virtual CIO?
If you’re using a managed service or consulting firm, you wouldn’t have to spend enormous time vetting a vCIO, but you still need to be aware of what qualities you need to look for. Here are some qualities of a great vCIO:
- Able to Create Technology Roadmaps: A vCIO should be able to provide strategic insights for your business and have a forward-thinking vision for your industry.
- Knows Your Industry: The technical knowledge and expertise of the vCIO should be relevant to your industry. A vCIO who is great at setting infrastructure for the retail business might not be a good fit if you are a mobile gaming company.
- Proven Project Management Skills: Project management skills are important for any business to reach their goals. Check if the vCIO knows the latest project planning and execution strategies.
- IT Budgeting Skills: Over-budget projects can sink your business. Check if the vCIO has a good understanding of IT related issues.
Once you’ve established that your business is a good fit for a vCIO and you understand the qualities needed in a vCIO, you need to make a decision.
In my experience, the best way to approach a vCIO service is to first have an honest chat with your C-Suite to find out what your actual business needs are and if a vCIO would be the right choice. Aligning what type of vCIO service and the goals of your business are the bests ways to add value and achieve the business outcomes you are seeking.