infoTECH Feature

February 08, 2010

IT Hiring to Rebound?

By Lance Whitney
As the economy slowly but hopefully starts to recover this year, how do things look for the IT job market? A December survey of chief information officers by Robert Half sees some increase in hiring as early as the first quarter of 2010.
 
Seven percent of CIOs questioned expect to add staff early this year, while 4 percent are eyeing reductions, according to Robert Half’s Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. Also significantly, 89 percent said they’re likely to keep staff levels the same. Though 4 percent doesn’t sound like a lot, it represents a 3 percent increase over Robert Half's last survey from the third quarter of 2009. Further, that 3 percent gain is the most improved forecast seen since the first quarter of 2009.
 
Breaking down the results further, CIOs in the East North Central states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and the South Atlantic region (Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) forecast an 8 percent rise in hiring, the highest level across the U.S. The wholesale, retail, and health services markets expect to increase hiring beyond the national average. But businesses of all shapes and sizes are projecting gains in hiring, according to the survey results.
 
If these forecasts come true, what types of opportunities can IT pros expect in the year ahead? Among those companies who said they plan to add staff, 58 percent are likely to hire full timers, while 28 percent will be looking for a blend of full-time and contract workers. Among that mix, 41 percent said they'll recruit entry-level employees (up to two years experience), 40 percent said they'll bring in staff-level professionals (between two and five years experience), and 20 percent said they'll focus on recruiting senior-level people (five or more years experience).
 
What tech skills are likely to be in demand? Among the executives surveyed, 70 percent said that network administrators are at the top of their list, while 66 percent are looking for desktop support professionals and 62 percent will be in need of Windows administrators. Note that the total percentages exceed 100 percent since CIOs were allowed to give multiple answers.
 
What types of jobs have been the hardest to fill? Around 19 percent of the executives said their greatest challenge has been finding skilled IT pros with networking experience. Another 13 percent said they've faced difficulty locating people with security know-how, while 10 percent said they've had trouble grabbing good applications developers. CIOs in the East North Central states expressed a need for network and desktop support admins. Those in the South Atlantic region are looking for application, web, and database developers, as well as people with help desk and business intelligence experience.
 
What will drive the increase in hiring? Among the CIOs questioned, 42 percent believe their companies will put money into new IT projects in the first quarter of this year. Specifically, those in the wholesale and retail industries see a greater need for end user support, while 22 percent of CIOs in the healthcare field expect to add more staff to install or develop new enterprise applications.
 
To compile the survey, Robert Half commissioned an outside firm that interviewed more than 1,400 CIOs of U.S. companies with at least 100 employees. Though the survey was published in early December, I thought the results still relevant enough to discuss now. Of course, I wouldn't necessarily bet the farm just on this one report. Like all surveys, it covers a certain cross-section of companies that may or may not be representative of the nation as a whole. And though I'm keeping my fingers crossed, I'm not sure such growth in hiring will come as early as the first quarter.
 
But I think the results of the survey can still serve as a wake-up call. If you're currently out of work or looking for a new job, now is the time to get ready if you haven't yet done so. Look at the results of this survey and other surveys. Talk to recruiters. Network with colleagues. Get a sense where the IT job market is headed. And position yourself to take advantage of new opportunities. Whether IT hiring rebounds in the first quarter of the year or later, it will happen. And you'll want to be sure you're fully prepared when it does.

Lance Whitney is a journalist, IT consultant, and Web Developer with almost 20 years of experience in the IT world. To read more of Lance's articles, please visit his columnist page

Edited by Amy Tierney
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