Half of hiring managers expect demand for tech professionals to rise 

  • 47% of hiring managers in IT expect demand to hire more in 2017 than they did in 2016.
  • Cyber security professionals will be most sought after with 54% of employer planning to hire specialists in this area.

A recent survey from specialist recruiter Robert Walters and leading British job board Jobsite has found that 47% of managers in technology expect to increase hiring in 2017. The ‘Technology & Recruitment – The Landscape for 2017’ campaign surveyed over 700 senior technology professionals from across the UK to gain insights into how demand for tech specialists will develop in 2017, the challenges employers will face and what strategies they can use to attract top talent.

Cyber security is expected to account for much of the hiring in technology in 2017, with 54% of managers saying that they will be recruiting for positions in this area. In light of high profile breaches in data at security at major firms in 2015, IT security has become a growing priority, driving demand for specialists to fill in-house roles at large companies and to work with startups specialising in data protection and information security.

Ahsan Iqbal, Associate Director for technology recruitment at Robert Walters comments:

“Specialists in cyber security have been highly sought after by employers over the past year and this trend is set to continue into 2017. With a limited supply of candidates with the required skills, competition will be high among employers to secure the best candidates.”

MORE THAN A THIRD OF EMPLOYERS PLAN TO RECRUIT BI AND DATA MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS

Business intelligence and Big Data experts can also expect to see high demand for their skills in 2017, with 36% of hiring managers planning to recruit specialists in these areas.

As employers become increasingly aware of the valuable market insights and ROI sophisticated data analytics can offer, demand for professionals specialising in this field is set to continue growing.

Lee Allen, Sales Director for Jobsite comments:

“As businesses look to increase market share and drive cost efficiencies, analysis of external and internal data is becoming more and more prominent. Demand for BI and Big Data specialists is particularly high from employers in fields such as FMCG, media, automotive and manufacturing, with employers competing to secure top talent.”

COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES VITAL TO ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TALENTED TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS

69% of senior technology professionals said that offering candidates flexible working options is an effective strategy to ensure staff retention. Hiring managers also emphasised that considering the long-term ambitions of staff and clearly communicating the opportunities for career development is important (54%), as is providing training to demonstrate this commitment (53%).

Ahsan Iqbal continues:

“Competitive salaries will be essential to attract the best candidates, but employers shouldn’t underestimate the importance of other policies such as flexible hours, the option to work remotely and the potential for long term career development.”

For further information, or to request a copy of the full survey results, please contact Alan O’Doherty on alan.odoherty@robertwalters.com or 020 7509 8839

 

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