IT Staffing Report: June 11, 2015

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Chief information officers plan more hiring in US, less in Canada

US chief information officers plan to add more IT staff in the second half of 2015 than they did in the first half, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. However, Canadian CIOs plan to hire fewer workers.

The US survey found 22% of CIOs plan to expand their IT teams in the second half of the year, up from 19% in a similar survey for the first half of 2015 and 14% in a survey for the second half of 2014.

Sixty-seven percent of the CIOs surveyed said they plan to hire only for open IT roles, down slightly from 68% who had similar plans for the first half of 2015.

The US IT hiring forecast for the second half of 2015 found:

  • CIOs planning to add more staff to IT departments: 22%
  • CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles: 67%
  • CIOs planning to put IT hiring plans on hold: 9%
  • CIOs planning to reduce their IT staff: 2%
  • Don’t know future hiring plans: 1%

“Skilled technology professionals are in high demand across the country, and companies are going to great lengths to attract the best talent,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “In this job seekers’ market, technology leaders must not only develop innovative technology solutions, but also create a department culture that inspires and rewards innovation in its employees.”

Among the CIOs surveyed, 59% said it’s somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today. They also reported the skills in greatest demand within their organizations; the top responses include:

  • Windows administration: 53%
  • Desktop support: 52%
  • Network administration: 52%
  • Wireless network management: 50%

Among the 25 major markets included in the report, CIOs in Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland; Detroit; Los Angeles; Miami; and St. Louis were most optimistic about increasing the size of their teams.

In Canada, however, only 7% of chief information officers intend on expanding their IT teams in the second half of 2015. That is down from 17% who said the same in a survey representing the first half of 2015 and 14% in the survey for the second half of 2014. However, 98% of Canadian survey respondents said they are confident in their company’s prospects for growth in the next six months and cited no plans to reduce the number of IT professionals currently on staff.

The Canadian IT hiring forecast for the second half of 2015 found:

  • CIOs adding more staff to IT departments: 7%
  • CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles: 66%
  • CIOs planning to put IT hiring plans on hold: 27%
  • CIOs planning to reduce their IT staff: 0%
  • CIOs who don’t know future hiring plans: 0%

Among the Canadian CIOs surveyed, 29% said it’s somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today. They reported the skills in greatest demand within their organizations include:

  • Wireless network management: 64%
  • Network administration: 56%
  • Windows administration: 55%
  • Database management: 49%

“With high confidence in future growth, job seekers need to be aware of where technology demands lie as an essential service, and be prepared to fill those needs as they arise in the coming months,” said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of Robert Half Technology. “Companies are being cautious with their hiring practices going into the second half of the year, focusing on cultivating internal development and working with current business demands before adding full-time IT staff.”

The hiring forecasts are based on interviews with more than 2,500 CIOs from 25 major US markets and more than 270 CIOs from major Canadian markets who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook.