IS YOUR DEALERSHIP READY TO INVEST IN A vCIO?
Recruiting and staffing in the Office Technology sector is never easy. For most dealers, recruiting is put on the backburner and is an unfortunate necessary evil they would rather avoid. The problem is recruiting is often overlooked and the last thing on a dealer’s mind, when it should be their first. Management needs to begin looking at recruiting not as an unwanted task, but as an investment in your organization’s growth and future. The biggest investment in your business is the people you hire, and the positions you hire them for.
Over the past 10 years the Office Technology Industry has changed drastically. Keeping up with new industry changes can be overwhelming and ever-changing. Managed Print and Managed Network Services have become household names that dealerships must adopt in order to survive. To stay competitive, and continue growing, dealers must begin looking at candidates and the positions they are hiring them for differently. This is done by introducing new and creative positions as long term investments for your business.
The vCIO – Technical Expertise for an Increasingly Technological World
One of these new and creative positions dealers need to invest in is the Virtual Chief Information Officer, or vCIO position. This is a highly technical position that will assist in the development and growth of your dealership’s Managed Print and Managed Network programs. This position is an investment, and should only be hired when your organization is ready to support it. Hiring a vCIO, if your dealership lacks the support and infrastructure needed, can be a costly mistake. You will want to hire a candidate that has worked at a larger company than yours. I personally recommend recruiting a candidate from a company doing $250 million or more in sales per year. This will ensure you are getting an employee that has worked for a company large enough to have policies, procedures, and training that they can bring over and implement within your organization. It is also imperative to ensure candidates are up to date with their certifications and networking/connectivity abilities. I recommend candidates have a variety of A+, Net+, CDIA, CCNA, and MCSE certifications. The right vCIO Candidate should be a jack of all trades that is proficient with PC Support, Printer Repair, Networks, Servers, and Datacenters.
The goal when hiring for the vCIO position is to continue the investment you have made in growing your Managed Print and Managed Network program. The vCIO is a subject matter expert that can assist your sales representatives and service personnel in both pre and post sales functions related to Managed Print and Managed Network Services. Remember, when hiring for the vCIO position you are hiring a highly technical expert, not just a service technician from the copier industry. This is a common mistake for dealers. You need a pre and post sales expert and someone that can communicate on a C-Level, not just turn a screwdriver. You need to be confident your vCIO can communicate affluently with any CIO, CTO, or CFO in your region.
How to Find the Right vCIO for Your Business
vCIO Candidates don’t grow on trees, and usually are not actively seeking a new career. Recruiting for one can be a challenging ordeal if you don’t know where to start. My personal suggestion is to first utilize your personal network, or sphere of influence (friends, co-workers/employees, and business associates). Educate your contacts about your opening and what you are looking for in order to have them assist you in referring or recommending a viable candidate to pursue. If this option fails, seek a professional recruiting firm that can pin point what you are looking for, and go find it. A cost will be associated to going this route but can save you valuable time, resources, and inevitably find you the perfect candidate to help elevate your business.
Recruiting and onboarding a vCIO into your dealership is a big decision, and should not be taken lightly. Dealerships must prepare their Managed Print and Managed Network Services Department to be able to take on this type of employee investment. I would highly recommend utilizing a Professional Business Consultant that can assist before and after hiring a vCIO to make the transition smooth both for your dealership, and your new employee.
