IT teams “not fit for purpose”, say tech leaders

Over a quarter of IT leaders (29 per cent) believe their IT team needs to be replaced in order to drive digital transformation and increase productivity, according to research.

Organisations want their teams to deliver more cloud services (61 per cent) and mobile apps (53 per cent) and turn data into actionable insight (51 per cent).

However, the survey of 1,000 IT workers and 200 senior IT managers in the UK, also found that 67 per cent of IT leaders said they currently lack the balance of team expertise required to provide these services. They also believed they could increase overall productivity by 31 per cent if their team had the right mix of IT skills, knowledge and experience.

But IT workers claimed their potential isn't being realised. The majority (71 per cent) feel that their skills and knowledge are not being fully used by their organisations. They believe this is due to a lack of investment (46 per cent) and up-to-date training (34 per cent). In addition, more than a third (34 per cent) of IT workers think day-to-day problem solving is prioritised over innovation projects.

The study carried out by Experis, found a disconnect emerging between IT leaders and IT workers.

"Traditionally, the IT department was the practical powerhouse tasked with maintaining infrastructure, but now it is evolving to become more strategic," said Geoff Smith, managing director of Experis Europe.

"IT teams are starting to redefine business practices and put digital services at the heart of their organisation. Yet, this research suggests they aren't in a fit state to facilitate this change. IT leaders think they lack the relevant team skills, but workers believe they aren't given the opportunity to demonstrate their talent. This should be a wake-up call for UK businesses. They need to establish the capability of their IT department. There is an expectation that IT can drive strategic growth."