People Skills Matter in 'Customer-Centric' IT

摘要

As the final stop in the IT hiring process at Atlanta-based PulteGroup, CIO Joe Drouin does a gut check on how each candidate will mesh with the homebuilder's company culture. "Can I see this person walking in and shaking hands with a field manager?" he asks. An ability to engage with business colleagues has risen in importance to CIOs who are shifting their IT organizations away from inward-focused mindsets toward more consultative, customer-focused roles. For example, at Asbury Automotive, which operates car dealerships nationwide, 20 IT field technicians have broader help desk roles as store ambassadors. "They walk through the stores, meet and engage with customers and they love it," said CIO Barry Cohen, who uses a personality test to find people with these traits, which he considers an ideal mix: "aggressiveness, people orientation, a sense of urgency and attention to detail."