Issue Archive: May/June 2006

Professional Development: What Are You Worth?

Wondering what a business continuity professional is worth? Well, here's the answer: More than ever before. Over the past year,BCP salaries were up more than 5 percent for full time  employees  and 12 percent for  consultants compared to the previous year. A contributing factor seems to be  that BCP professionals are getting certified in business continuity and related fields. In fact, many are achieving multiple certifications, with 33 percent doing so in 2005 as opposed to just 14 percent in 2004.

These statistics are from an annual survey conducted by BC Management. The study aims to help practitioners and employers better understand the value of the profession and justify hiring. And the results are great news, indicating that business continuity is becoming more of a career path and a profession.

Are You Experienced?

Although BCP is becoming more widely recognized, it is still not quite a household name to Human Resource departments. With that in mind, you may have to educate HR before you get the big bucks or that extra person on your team. Consider some of the following factors in helping justify compensation:

• How much experience within business continuity is required?
• How much work experience is desired?
• What other backgrounds or skill sets are desired?
• Where does business continuity report?
• What credentials are required?
• How much technical knowledge is required?
• How much project and people management experience is desired?
• How  much  experience  within  business  continuity  is required and how much work related experience is desired?

In the past, individuals may have ended up in business continuity, today they are choosing it as a profession. While some are getting into business continuity earlier in their careers, many others come with related experience that can help support an enterprise continuity management program.  Experience  in related  disciplines  must  be considered when determining appropriate compensation. In fact, 35 percent of today's BCP practitioners have 21 to 30 years work experience, and 45 percent have four to 10 years experience in the field.

And  that  experience  can  be  worth  more  or  less depending on where you work. While the basic principles of business  continuity are the  same,  each organization takes a slightly different  approach with respect to where business  continuity reports and the skill sets required.

However,  business  continuity  is  integrating  with technology and interfacing with other areas,  including, information security, risk management, crisis management, and emergency management.  And many times individuals  moving into BCP have  backgrounds in these related disciplines. These skill sets are  assets and need to be considered and factored in when determining compensation.

Do You Have Tech Cred?

The  value  of specific  credentials  is determined by the job description, where the job reports, and the related skill sets required. The  majority  of positions now require  a bachelor degree, and many times a Masters degree is preferred. Business continuity certification - from DRII or BCI - may be a requirement. And the following certifications may be considered:

• Project Management Certification: PMP
• Information Security Certification:
• Emergency Response Certification: CEM, AEM
• Risk Management Certification: RMA

Technical skills also may prove lucrative. Business continuity includes both business and  technical issues, and the BC  professional  must be able to understand how  these two interrelate.  As a result, a more thorough understanding of technology
is a definite plus and is quite desirable.

In fact, survey results show a correlation between technical knowledge and compensation; the more technologically savvy, the higher the compensation. Respondents rated their technical proficiency on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most proficient. Sixty-six percent of respondents rated themselves in the five to eight range, indicating a high level of technical skills among BC professionals.

As  business  continuity  evolves, organizations are looking for leaders who understand people as well as technology and business. This means people who have experience managing people, interfacing with all levels of management, and managing projects are sought after and reap financial rewards.

What Does It All Mean?

Business continuity continues to evolve and gain more visibility within companies and in the world around us. As such, the discipline is becoming more of a career path, and responsibility and compensation are increasing accordingly. There continues to be more data available to justify programs as well as more money to hire the staff to make enterprise programs a reality.

Chris Worton is senior account executive with BC Management and formerly was vice president of sales for Strohl Systems.
He can be reached at (610) 590-0291 or via e-mail at chrisw@bcmanagement.com.