1 in 4 bosses worry about leadership for digital change

Almost half felt a lack of management support or interest.

Hong Kong bosses emerged as the least confident globally in having the right leadership to implement digital change in their company, with a quarter or 25% of CFOs and CIOs sharing this concern, according to a study by HR firm Robert Half.

Almost half or 48% said that they lack of management support or interest, followed by resistance to change (45%), lack of change management experience (36%) and lack of technical know-how (30%).

“Our research also shows companies should focus on breaking down any cultural barriers that might hamper Hong Kong’s new generation of leaders, such as change resistance or a lack of support or training,” says Robert Half associate director Elaine Lam said.

For CIO and CFOs, the most important skills that are needed to lead IT departments were technical know-how (69% and 55% respectively) and change management experience (51% and 57%), with both qualities included in their top three.

For CIOs in particular, communications skills (55%) are also essential, while CFOs view the involvement of specialists in decision-making (55%) as more of a priority.