War for talent heads to the “cloud”

Big Data demands the right IT leaders for next-generation challenges

Cloud computing and Big Data analytics have increasingly become a critical component of companies’ go-to-market strategies. Cloud-enabled technology has leveled the playing field between large firms that may be slow to adapt and smaller, more agile players. In the midst of this evolution, demand has increased for innovative professionals who understand the technology and know how to harness its power to guide business decisions.

The cost to the company of a misalignment between IT demands and IT talent and their leadership skills is huge. Mastery of analytics and data systems alone are no longer enough to ensure success, particularly in other critical elements of senior Big Data roles such as change management, building and leading innovative teams, and strategic planning. Winning the war for talent in this new frontier requires identifying leaders with learning agility—those who can recognize and respond to trends, bring breakthrough ideas to market, and manage change in a rapidly evolving world. Companies can realize a faster return on investment by developing their high potentials through targeted programs to broaden the divergent thinking and unstructured reasoning skills in data scientists who have been trained in statistics, mathematics, and the engineering sciences.