Key findings: 55% of Mainland China CIOs predict the technology job market will improve; 31% state it will remain steady On average, 35% of a Mainland China CIO’s time is spent on operations, with 21% spent on innovation Data consolidation and applications have been key areas of focus for Mainland China CIOs in 2015, with mobility anticipated to be the strongest area of focus in the next 12 months 53% of CIOs across Greater China expect to increase headcount in the next 12 months 49% of technology professionals in Greater China state that their budgets have increased in the past year; customer experience, business opportunity initiatives and innovations are the top three areas where CIOs in Mainland China parked their IT budget 62% of Greater China CIOs claim that their IT budget is the equivalent of 1-5% of their company’s revenue and one out of four (26%) respondents say it is as high as 6% or above Source: Michael Page 2015 Greater China CIO Viewpoint ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mainland China, Wednesday, 11 November 2015 – Chief Information Officers (CIOs) across Mainland China have expressed their optimism about the technology job market in the next 12 months in the recent Michael Page 2015 Greater China CIO Viewpoint. Findings from the report indicated that more than half (55%) of Mainland China IT professionals believe the technology sector will improve over the coming year, with a further 31% predicting that the technology industry will remain steady. More than half of CIOs in Greater China (53%) also expect to increase headcount in the next year, further bolstering job prospects for IT professionals across the region. Anthony Thompson, Regional Managing Director, Michael Page Greater China says, “There is a clear mood of optimism among senior IT professionals in Mainland China, but when it comes to increasing headcount we see market variation from their Hong Kong and Taiwan-based counterparts. In Mainland China, there is growing demand for data analysts, while in Hong Kong, developers and specialists in cyber security are highly sought after. In Taiwan, talent with both technical skills and business sensitivity are the focus of attention." In terms of the main business improvement projects currently being undertaken, CIOs in Mainland China are primarily concentrating on improving processes such as data consolidation and applications. Moving forward, improving experiences on mobile platforms has been nominated as the top area for new technology spending in 2016, showing a shift in business operations toward a more customer service-based focus. “We are seeing CIOs in Mainland China move from an operational focus to delivering optimal services to their customers,” says Gin Sun, Associate Director, Michael Page Technology Shanghai. “It is no coincidence that this comes at a time of increasing budgets and CIOs are now making more company-wide decisions than at any time in the past five years. This points towards the growing importance of technology in supporting business growth, particularly in industries such as fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and retail, where these capabilities will be crucial.” The Michael Page 2015 Greater China CIO Viewpoint report is a report based on the qualitative survey findings of 116 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) working across a range of industry sectors in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The report provides a snapshot of CIO perspectives on some of the key considerations facing technology leaders over the coming 12 months, including the introduction of technological innovations and strategies within their organisations, IT budget allocation and resourcing trends. The report can be viewed in full here.
