How to find your new Chief Information Officer - Populo ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
CASE STUDY
How to find your new
Chief Information Officer
SUMMARY
Populo have 15 years specialist experience in finding
the best candidates for healthcare IT roles. In Spring
2021 the CEO at Mid Cheshire selected Populo to
help recruit their new Chief Information Officer.
BACKGROUND
Mid Cheshire Hospitals employ • Delivering outstanding clinical
4500 staff, they have 450 beds quality, safety and experience
and provide a range of services
• Being a leading partner in a
including A&E, maternity,
progressive health economy
outpatients, inpatients, therapies
and children’s health. As well • Striving for outstanding
as 3 main hospitals, Leighton organisational effectiveness
near Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in
Northwich and Elmhurst Immediate • Aspiring to excellence in practice
Care Centre in Winsford they also through our workforce
partner with Central Cheshire • Creating a 21st century
Integrated Care Partnership infrastructure for transformative
(CCICP) providing a range of health and social care
community health services for
people across South Cheshire and Digitisation is a key part of delivering
Vale Royal. The board have agreed the objectives so the Trust’s new CIO
5 strategic objectives supporting needed to have the skills, knowledge
them on their journey progressing and experience that would support
from a ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’ the their delivery. The Populo and
CQC rating. Mid Cheshire teams worked hand in
hand to find the right person for the
job matching Populo’s experience
and networks with Mid Cheshire’s
requirements.
© 2021 Populo Consulting Ltd All Rights Reserved | Version 1.1
populoconsulting.co.uk Artis House, Fairways Business Park, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9LF
+44 (0)1772 278060 info@populoconsulting.co.uk
CASE STUDY
APPROACH
Populo used their 4 step approach
to recruitment beginning by agreeing a person
specification for the new CIO.
Step 1: Person specification
Thinking carefully about the skills required, the new CIO
needed experience and knowledge that equipped them
to lead the IT culture of Mid Cheshire into the future.
Ability to determine the long term strategy working in ADVISORY
SERVICES
harmony with the other executive directors outside the
technology function was a prerequisite.
Unlike most other roles where staff How do they know which candidates
tend to work within their own peer have the right technical experience
groups the CIO is an executive role and skills if they are not IT experts
where the successful candidate must themselves?
have an understanding of the other
This is the strength that Populo
functions that report to the CEO.
brings. Darren Mills, who ran the
An appreciation of Finance, HR,
project has over 15 years experience
Procurement, Estates and Facilities
recruiting into senior technology and
and Operational Management is
CIO roles. He has the large network
essential. They need a sound
and understanding of a CIO role
understanding of finance to be able
necessary to find the right person.
to budget, how to recruit the right
people for their projects, ensure So what skills does a candidate
they understand the compliance need to be considered for a CIO
requirements for procurement and role? They must be ‘business
how the operational business works savvy’, be able to motivate their
on a day to day basis. An overall staff and retain the good ones, be a
understanding of the Trust is a key strategic thinker and translate this
part of a CIO’s suitability for the into delivery, be able to manage
role. They will always take advice large programmes of work and
and draw on expertise working as ensure they are complementary to
a closely knit team with the other the corporate objectives, be able to
executives but a good understanding explain complex technical concepts
of the wider directorates is essential in a non-technical way to make them
to ensure the IT function works in understandable, have a detailed
harmony. grasp on digital transformation,
data and infrastructure technology,
One of key risks any Trust faces as
a good awareness of cyber security,
they search is whether they have the
clinical safety and information
technical knowledge required to
governance and be able to direct
recruit the right person. A CIO is not
suppliers to get the best out of them
all about IT but it is their specialism
to the Trust’s advantage.
and it can sometimes be seen as
dark art. Unless the people selecting
and interviewing work in IT they
don’t necessarily have the technical
understanding required to sift out
unqualified applicants.
© 2021 Populo Consulting Ltd All Rights Reserved | Version 1.1
populoconsulting.co.uk Artis House, Fairways Business Park, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9LF
+44 (0)1772 278060 info@populoconsulting.co.uk
CASE STUDY
Step 1: Person specification (Continued)
“These were leaders
KEY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE known to have the
Business transformation and acumen
right experience
Team development & motivation
and skills.”
Strategic thinking
Project execution
Communication
Digital Technology depth
Information security
Supplier Management
Cultural awareness of the organisation
Organisation partnership awareness
Data and Infrastructure knowledge
Step 2: Selection and Shortlisting
Once the role description and personal attributes
along with the knowledge and experience were
agreed with Mid Cheshire Populo began the search
for potential candidates.
A formal advert was written and Populo expanded the net by
published on NHS Jobs. This was searching on other professional
live for 4 weeks and ran alongside networks to identify further
Populo’s own networking and head possible candidates. This created
hunting activities. Approaches a longlist of 40 applicants. Populo
were made to senior IT individuals then had the first pass at shifting out
and CIOs who might want to be those applicants that didn’t match
considered and who were already the role specification. A shortlist was
inside the Populo network. These confirmed and taken to Mid Cheshire
were leaders known to have the right for debate and discussion. A list of
experience and skills. four was agreed. Populo informed
the unsuccessful applicants and the
final four candidates were invited
to interview.
© 2021 Populo Consulting Ltd All Rights Reserved | Version 1.1
populoconsulting.co.uk Artis House, Fairways Business Park, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9LF
+44 (0)1772 278060 info@populoconsulting.co.uk
CASE STUDY
Step 3: Interview and Selection
The interview process was thorough; two panel discussions
with senior Trust leads and a final board panel consisting of the
CEO, Non- Executive Directors, the Trust Chairman with Populo
Consultants providing support.
As well as the key skills and For example: “Describe your approach Commitment to the role is important.
experience it was important the to digital strategy within a healthcare Candidates should be aspirational,
successful candidate demonstrated environment and the key things that looking for growth, enthusiastic and
a good cultural match for the differentiate it from traditional IT driven but not so inexperienced
organisation. It was essential to planning?” they don’t have the requisite skills to
ensure the successful candidate It was important to see how each perform effectively. It was important
would ‘fit’ into the organisation and candidate applied themselves in a to establish a candidate’s loyalty or
test to see if they would be able lead challenging environment and test if they were just looking for a short
the digital change the Trust required. their competencies. “What is your term leap up the ladder. Would they
They needed to be able to work with approach to developing a digital team be a flight risk part way through
other executives, garnering respect and what have you learnt previously the implementation of the digital
and support from their peers and their that will help you grow the capacity programme? The interviews tested
teams. Without this leaders cannot and capability at Mid Cheshire?” this by asking about investment in
successfully deliver change. This exploration of their ideas also their own CPD and what they would
The interviews were therefore created identified if the candidate had ‘done strive to achieve for Mid Cheshire
to ensure open questions were their homework’ on the organisation. within the next 5 years.
included in the panel discussions Did they understand where Mid Each candidate’s answers were scored
in a way that would both test the Cheshire wanted to be, the corporate and the overall selection was agreed
candidate, challenge them and allow objectives and explain how they amongst the panel. Populo managed
the Trust to establish which had the would be able to help achieve them? the candidate updates and informed
technical and soft skills required. Good communication is essential as the interviewees whether they had
Open questions are essential, such a CIO so this was each candidate’s been successful or not.
as ‘Can you give me an example of opportunity to express themselves
when….?’ Rather than just asking clearly and demonstrate they could
candidate to chat through their do the role they had applied for.
cv. This gave the panel members There were also some more negative
an opportunity to drill down into questions included “Can you give
the candidates experience so they an example of when you have failed,
could explain how they would how did you recover the situation
handle change and their approach to and what did you learn?” to test each
developing an IT strategy. candidates ability to learn lessons and
apply them.
Step 4: Confirm successful candidate,
Take references & Confirm contract
The next step was taking references on the preferred
candidate and approving the go-ahead to make an
offer. Populo also managed the Terms and Conditions
contract negotiations for the client and facilitated
discussions between the appointee and Mid Cheshire
to reduce the administrative burden at both ends.
© 2021 Populo Consulting Ltd All Rights Reserved | Version 1.1
populoconsulting.co.uk Artis House, Fairways Business Park, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9LF
+44 (0)1772 278060 info@populoconsulting.co.uk
CASE STUDY
BENEFITS OF POPULO’S
EXPERIENCE:
There are a number of points a Trust OVER 15 YEARS EXTENSIVE
should consider when deciding on EXPERIENCE NETWORK
how to recruit a new CIO:
Trust: Benefit of Populo:
What do we do if we don’t have Populo have a wide network
the in-house skills to be able to of senior IT executives, CIOs, A WEALTH OF
identify the right person with Programme Directors and TECHNICAL
the right experience? Technical experts to approach KNOWLEDGE
on behalf of their clients. They
have over 15 years experience
selecting the best candidates for
interview
What technical questions The Populo team have a wealth
should we ask? of technical knowledge to draw
on guiding Trusts to develop
challenging questions
How do we know the answers Populo consultants will help
to the more technical questions define both the questions and
are correct? the answers a Trust should be
looking for
Is an advert the best way to Using Populo’s extensive
advertise our requirement? network of candidates is a great
way to reach the right people in
addition to a traditional advert
Some candidates are good on Populo know and have vetted
paper and interview well but each candidate personally.
how do we really know their A Trust can be sure all references
references are accurate, up to are honest and candid giving a
date and valid? true picture of all candidates
“Darren and the team at “As a result we are delighted
Populo are consummate to have appointed our new
professionals. They provided CIO who starts with us in
us with essential expertise September 2021”
to find best person for the
job, partnering us through James Sumner, CEO Mid Cheshire
the whole process.” Hospitals Foundation Trust.
© 2021 Populo Consulting Ltd All Rights Reserved | Version 1.1
populoconsulting.co.uk Artis House, Fairways Business Park, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9LF
+44 (0)1772 278060 info@populoconsulting.co.uk
You can also read
