Is There an Age Bias in IT?
The IT solution needs of large enterprises demand experienced people who have different domain strengths.
N.Chandrasekaran
Ashok Leyland, IT Advisor
New technologies are emerging every three months. Hence, it helps to have a younger person heading the role of a CTO.
Prince Azariah
ACC, Head-IT Services
Experience is a product of opportunities and performance that raises intellectual energy level. The ability to adapt to changing business environments is a combination of latent, intrinsic capabilities. If this is understood, age is not a deterrent. The IT industry, like any other industry, certainly needs to induct and nurture youngsters. In many organizations, there is no conscious effort in skill augmentation beyond 10 years of experience. As one moves up, proactive widening of skills needs to assume importance and this is not addressed adequately. As a result age is perceived as the barrier. When delivering solutions, just technology expertise is inadequate; the people and process factors are critical. Many projects fail due to inadequate focus in these spheres.
This is what ‘value-added age’ brings.
Look at outsourcing. Most outsourcing offshore deals need lot of programming level competency and a rather small percentage of high-level expertise. Thus, it is the revenue opportunities that drive the recruitment and retention pattern. This drives IT companies to hire fresh talent and limit focus on skill enhancement of their more experienced professionals, thereby converting value into waste.
The IT solution needs of large enterprises in India and value addition expected in the global marketplace demand experienced professionals who have different domain strengths. And this is in short supply. The reason: A lack of focus on developing the experienced. And this kind of expertise cannot be manufactured.
Blending the potential of the younger generation with the experience of the older is essential.
We need to clearly understand the difference between the role of a CTO and a CIO. A CTO is a technology expert whose job is to keep the IT environment available. Traditionally, there is an age bias for the technologist, and I can understand that. When I joined IT back in the ‘70s, technologies would run for years before becoming obsolete. Now, new technologies are emerging every three months. In this case, it helps to have a younger person heading the role of a CTO.
Back in the ‘90s, a CIO was doing the job of a CTO as well. But as the CIO role refined and when they started sitting on the board, age was no longer a barrier. If you’re a CIO in the cement industry, you need to know how to buy limestone or coal. This is a relationship job and you need soft skills for that. Hence, people prefer older CIOs in the age bracket of 55-60 years because they know that an older person would have the necessary experience. You need a CIO not to keep the lights on, but to bring in business transformation.
I feel that the CIO’s job requires letting go of your ego. And that’s something you learn with age. Technology is moving at a fast pace and it’s the CIO’s job to bridge the gap between technology and the traditionalists. If your CFO is on the wrong side of his 50s and you tell him you’re going to bring in an automated system that gets rid of all physical checks, he’s not going to approve the project. That’s where you need a CIO who has the maturity to talk to him at his level and explain why such a step will not lead to any loss of governance and control. This kind of tact comes with age.
When you’re on the other side of 50, you’re not looking to climb anymore. The only thing that drives you to work everyday is your passion. And that gets noticed and valued.
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