How to Attract and Retain Top Personnel
Monday, May 7
North America CACS 2012
Derek Duval, CPC
Duval Search Associates
www.duvalsearch.com
derek@duvalsearch.com
IT Audit Market – Past, Present, & Future
• Early 1990s: Steady growth as IT Audit field becomes more
diverse and robust.
• Mid-Late 1990s: Hot market fueled by internet boom creates
large gap between supply and demand for IT Auditors.
• 2001-2002: Mini-recession, barely felt by IT Auditors.
• 2004-2008: The Sarbanes-Oxley “avalanche” creates
unprecedented shortage of qualified IT Auditors.
• 2009 to mid-2010: Party over. Mega-recession, significantly
narrows supply/demand gap, IT Audit market is flat.
• Mid-2010 to 2011: Rebound. Demand for IT Auditors
bounces back much more quickly than the general
employment market.
• 2012: Demand for IT Auditors again far exceeds supply.
• 2013 – 2015: Attracting & retaining top IT Audit talent will be
increasingly challenging.
Current Market: Indicators & Trends
• Budgets are replenishing, and projects are
coming off the shelf.
• Management’s view of technology as area of
increased risk.
• The “Big 4” barometer.
• Candidates are receiving multiple offers, and
counter offers are back in vogue.
• The bar is “returning to normal”: 70-30 rule
Career Motivators
• Impact (seeing measurable positive results of your
efforts)
• Challenge (constantly acquiring and applying new
skills)
• Quality of Life (flexible hours, short commute,
family considerations, etc.)
• Mobility (career paths available; not pigeonholed)
• Relationships (being mentored, mentoring others,
workplace friendships)
• Money (more is better…)
• Authority (becoming a manager/director of others)
• Stability (reasonable to expect your status with
current employer is solid for next 2 years)
Generational Issues
• “Baby Boomers” (born pre-1965) in hiring
positions must adapt management style to
attract & retain “Generation X” (1966-1980) &
“Millennials” (1981-2000).
• Boomers are not retiring at expected rate,
creating “opportunity gap” for Gen X &
Millennials.
• Defining a Successful Hire:
– Length of stay
– Impact within department
– Impact beyond department
Identifying Candidates
(Traditional Methods)
• Depends heavily on Human Resources Department to
source potential candidates
• Post position on your organization’s career site
• Post position on Job Boards (Monster, CareerBuilder,
Dice, Indeed, etc.)
• Post position on ISACA & IIA local or national sites
• Search Job Boards for active candidates, and reach out
to generate interest
• Ask current team members if they have anyone to
recommend
Identifying Candidates
(Progressive Methods)
• Depend on your own efforts to attract candidates.
• Attend events (ISACA, ISSA, IIA, etc.) and engage in
proactive networking.
• Motivate current team members to produce Referrals
• Development of Internal Candidate Pipeline
• LinkedIn
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Connections
Groups
Job Postings
Discussions
Recruiters
• Ask about track record of successfully filling positions
similar to your opening.
• “Describe your process for identifying potential
candidates.”
• “How will you determine which candidates to
recommend and which to screen out?”
• “Tell me about a time when you facilitated a
successful placement that would not have happened
without your involvement.”
• Specialized, Experienced, Build Trust over Time
IT Audit meets Marketing
• Internal Audit Intranet Site
• DVD showcasing Internal Audit personnel,
including testimonials from Audit “Customers”
• Handouts for candidates showing list of audit
“alumni” - including tenure in audit, and
where they’ve moved on internally.
• PPT presentation showing positive changes
implemented in the company as a result of
audit’s efforts.
Selecting Candidates
• HR Groups – too much power, too little value?
• Pitfalls:
– Slow process
– Too many, and/or wrong people involved
– One-sided
• “Traditional” Interviewing
• “Progressive” Interviewing
• Case Studies
Example Interview Questions
• What adjectives or characteristics come to mind
when you think of the kind of people you like to
work with?
• What do you enjoy the most about your work?
• What do you think are some of the top concerns
in the IT Audit profession?
• What have been your three highest IT Audit
priorities during the last 12 months? How did
you determine these priorities, and where do you
stand in terms of addressing them?
Retaining Top Talent
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Impact
Challenge
Quality of Life
Mobility
Relationships
Money
Authority
Stability
Show Me the Money
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Competitive Compensation
Bonus Incentives
Internal Equity Issues
Salary Compression between Senior IT
Auditors and IT Audit Managers
Open Communication and
“Tone from the Top”
• Communication savvy and emotional intelligence separates
those who climb from those who stall in the IT Audit world.
• Strong performers have high expectations of individual and
team performance and want to know:
– Where they stand within the department
– How their efforts relate to the organization’s overall mission
• Top employees appreciate leaders who ask for constructive
feedback on individual and group management style.
• “What Keeps You Awake at Night?”
• “What Gets You Up in the Morning?”
Meaningful Work
• People want to feel respected, valued, and
believe that what they do makes a difference.
• Empower each employee with a sense of
ownership and autonomy.
• Loyalty increases when employees are recognized
for individual as well as team efforts.
• How much time do you spend addressing
problems and correcting mistakes, as opposed to
acknowledging contributions?
Training, Development, and
Career Pathing
• Training: What do you offer?
– External:
• Conferences, Seminars, ISACA Chapters
– Internal:
• Team member takes lead on training
• Brown Bag with Vendors?
• “Celebrity Lunches” with Audit Clients
• Mentoring
• Career paths beyond audit
Flexible (and even fun?)
Environments
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Flex time
Telecommuting
Casual dress
Travel Perks
Soft time
Do the Unexpected
Proactive Leadership Questions
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Do you meet regularly with your team to encourage and contribute
to their success?
Do you brainstorm with your team to find creative solutions to
problems, working in their ideas?
Do you give credit to those deserving and acknowledge their
contributions appropriately?
Do you know what responsibilities and opportunities your team
wants, and are you helping facilitate those goals?
Are you open to upward feedback from your team, asking them to
provide constructive input about your leadership?
Do you provide training and continuous learning opportunities for
your team?
Are you aware of important milestones in your team’s personal lives,
and do you acknowledge them appropriately?
Summary
• Attracting, Selecting, & Retaining top talent:
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Is essential to success
Requires constant effort
Will be increasingly challenging for the foreseeable future
Is potentially the most rewarding aspect of your position
• Clarify how you define, measure, and acknowledge
success in your department.
• Improve your process for attracting and selecting
people who are a cultural fit.
• Strive to create an atmosphere including more open
communication, empowerment, and flexibility.