IT Governance Institute-commissioned report polls chief executives and chief information officers across 23 countries

More firms are admitting to a growing problem over a shortage of staff according to a survey by the IT Governance Institute (ITGI).

The organisation commissioned PwC to question chief executive and chief information officer level executives from 749 companies across 23 countries. Shockingly 58 per cent of respondents admitted to suffering from a shortage of staff, compared to 35 per cent in a similar survey conducted in 2005.

A total of 48 per cent of firms said IT service delivery problems were also a common problem, with 38 per cent revealing their staff had inadequate skills.

Lynn Lawton, international president of ITGI, said: “Despite recent economic news and employee layoffs, we are seeing an increased demand for qualified information technology professionals throughout the industry. Without a well-trained, fully staffed IT department, the bottom line is that many organisations around the world are needlessly sacrificing money, productivity and competitive advantage. Executives need to direct their IT for optimal advantage, reduce IT-related risks and measure the value provided by IT.”

Other results included 93 per cent of respondents claiming that IT is ‘somewhat to very’ important to overall corporate strategy – an increase of six per cent from 2005.
IT has also increased its profile on the board agenda according to 32 per cent of respondents – up from 25 per cent in 2005.