Press Releases

Leaders Working Together on Technology Investments, Business Systems Changes

TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2019 /CNW/ - As the integration of technology solutions continues to reshape businesses, C-suite collaboration, increasingly, is standard procedure. A new survey from Robert Half reveals that 74 per cent of CFOs in Canada collaborate with their company's CIO more now than three years ago.

The research shows that technology investments and business systems changes (both at 49 per cent) are the top collaboration areas for CFOs and CIOs, followed closely by staff technology training (44 per cent) and digital transformation (42 per cent). Finance and tech leaders are also partnering on cybersecurity efforts (39 per cent) for their company.

"Technology solutions and processes are now firmly integrated with, and vital to, the daily operations of today's organizations ― particularly within the finance function, where areas such as data analysis, forecasting and compliance rely heavily on IT support," said David King, senior district president of Robert Half. "Such an important, symbiotic relationship makes close communication and coordination between the CFO and CIO key to ensuring IT investments support the success of initiatives across the business."

"A good working relationship between leaders at the top is often reflected in a more aligned and effective approach by teams at all levels," added Deborah Bottineau, district president for Robert Half Technology. "Encouraging staff to seek input across departments builds greater awareness of challenges and helps establish a collaborative culture where goals and big-picture strategies are consistently insightful, innovative and successful."

Following are three business advantages of a strong CFO-CIO relationship:

1. Smarter IT investments — Digital transformation initiatives require a substantial allocation of resources and have an enormous impact on a company's future performance. The CIO can provide expert guidance on which technology can best achieve business goals and increase competitiveness, while the CFO offers financial and operational insights.
2. Improved information security and compliance — With firms increasingly reliant on technology, the need to protect sensitive data has never been greater. The CFO and CIO must coordinate and develop measures to address the risks posed by cybercriminal activity and compliance demands.
3. Actionable data analytics — A solid working relationship between C-level executives can produce the right combination of technologies and processes to extract the most accurate information for the business.

For more insights on how emerging technologies are reshaping business and the workplace, check out Robert Half's Jobs and AI Anxiety report.

About the Research
The online survey was developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on responses from more than 300 CFOs at Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.

About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm and a recognized leader in professional consulting and staffing services. The company's specialized staffing divisions include Accountemps^®, Robert Half^® Finance & Accounting and Robert Half^® Management Resources for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam^® for highly skilled administrative support professionals; Robert Half^® Technology for project and full-time technology professionals; Robert Half^® Legal for project and full-time staffing of lawyers, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The Creative Group^® for creative, digital, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. For more information, visit Robert Half at roberthalf.ca.

SOURCE Robert Half Canada