Chief information officers in the US plan to add fewer IT staff in the first half of 2017 than they planned to add in the second half of 2016, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. Canadian CIOs also plan to hire fewer workers.
The US survey found 16% of CIOs plan to expand their IT teams in the first half of the year, down from 21% in a similar survey for the second half of 2016 and 22% in a survey for the first half of 2015.
“For technology executives, the start of a new year often prompts the reassessment of teams, technologies and potential vulnerabilities,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “IT leaders are bringing on full-time staff strategically and focusing on key business priorities, such as enhancing enterprise tools and strengthening IT security.”
The executives were asked, “What is your company's plan for hiring full-time IT employees in the next six months?” Their responses:
- Adding more staff to IT departments: 16%
- Hiring only for open IT roles: 69%
- Putting IT hiring plans on hold: 12%
Among the US CIOs surveyed, 61% said it’s somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today, unchanged for the similar survey six months ago. Forty-four percent of CIOs surveyed cited database administration among the skill sets in greatest demand within their organizations. Desktop support and network administration were also in demand, each cited by to 42% of respondents.
“Business demands for IT teams continue to grow,” Reed said. “Companies are relying not just on full-time hires but also project professionals with specialized skills to meet ongoing business needs and help reach organizational goals.”
In Canada, only 4% of technology executives plan to add staff to their IT departments in the first half of 2017, down from 13% who planned to add staff in the second half of 2016. Those intending to hire only for open IT roles increased to 85% from 30% in the prior survey.
The Canadian IT hiring forecast found CIO for the first half of 2017 include:
- Add more staff to IT departments: 4%
- Hire only for open IT roles: 85%
- Put IT hiring plans on hold: 12%
- Reduce their IT staff: 0%
Among the Canadian CIOs surveyed, 21% said it is somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today, a sharp decline from 68% in the prior survey. Survey respondents reported the skills in greatest demand within their organizations include:
- Network administration: 62%
- Database management: 61%
- Wireless network management: 58%
“Heading into 2017, technology leaders look to establish more multifaceted IT teams, capable of introducing enhanced security tools and innovative systems solutions,” said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of Robert Half Technology. “Companies continue to focus on hiring strategically, and the most sought-after IT professionals are those who are able to evolve their skills to help businesses meet advanced networking and data management needs.”
The hiring forecasts are based on interviews with more than 2,500 CIOs from 25 major US markets and more than 270 Canadian CIOs who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook.
