This episode features James Forrester, Chief Technology Officer and Associate Vice President Information Technology at University of Rochester Medical Center. Here, he discusses the most challenging positions to recruit for, how strategy surrounding retaining & recruiting has evolved, and much more.
Summary
Recruiting and Retaining a Thriving IT Team with James Forrester, CTO of University of Rochester Medical Center
Challenges in Recruiting for Information Security
James Forrester, Chief Technology Officer at University of Rochester Medical Center, shares insights on how IT teams have been evolving and developing in terms of cyber security. One of the biggest challenges is recruiting for information security due to a 0% unemployment rate. He outlines the changes in recruitment strategy, such as using market compensation data, networking, talent agencies, and building pipelines of talent, to better attract skilled candidates.
The Evolution of Retention Strategies
For retaining employees in the IT team, Forrester stresses the importance of compensation, but highlights that there are other factors such as the quality of managers, flexibility, and drive that make employees stay happy and fulfilled in their roles. At University of Rochester, a deliberate leadership model is implemented to tie in with performance evaluations, which includes factors like quality of management, flexible work arrangements, motivating employees with missions, and modernizing job roles with market data through a program called Career Path Modernization.
The Future of IT Teams and Co-Sourcing
Forrester predicts that co-sourcing will be an important factor in IT and cybersecurity teams in the future. He explains how teams can be augmented through managed services such as a Security Operations Center. At University of Rochester, stay interviews are conducted to retain staff, and post-pandemic work should remain flexible and prioritize employee engagement.
Creating a Visible and Empathetic Culture
Forrester emphasizes that investing in managers is key to a thriving IT team, so creating a culture that is visible, transparent, and empathetic is vital. With the evolution of recruitment and retention strategies, it is clear that a successful IT team needs to be built with deliberate and thoughtful planning.
Note: This is an AI generated transcript, not edited by a staff writer and is solely intended for educational purposes. If you have any questions/concerns, reach out to podcasts@beckershealthcare.com
This episode aired on 11/12/2022 and can be listened here.
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