The expertise of IT managers is often ignored because company directors see them as advisory figures, rather than people who are qualified to make important decisions on spending, according to recent research. As a result, IT investment is often refused.

IT recruitment consultancy Computer People surveyed 500 company directors and the same number of senior IT managers for its research.

A third of the IT managers indicated that the advice that they gave to senior management was often ignored.

More than 80 per cent of IT professionals said that IT related issues were a low priority within their companies.

Forty-one per cent attributed this to senior managers not being able to comprehend the long-term implications of technology issues. Just over a third said that financial constraints meant that IT was being neglected.

The survey also found that IT managers were unlikely to become board members. Computer People found that less than a third of UK companies had an IT director on the board.

Of the IT managers surveyed, only five per cent thought that they had a very good chance of being promoted to the board within the next couple of years.

Half admitted that they thought it was unlikely, and a third said that they had no chance at all.

In order to get a position on the board, Computer People advised IT managers to demonstrate their understanding of wider business issues, and to avoid technical jargon.

It added that they should also concentrate on explaining the benefits of technology to business performance.

To broaden their skills, IT managers should also make an effort to learn about other business disciplines.