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By Sue Kelly
Technology executives expect continued information technology hiring in the second quarter of 2012, although at a slightly slower pace than three months ago. This is according to a recent Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report.
The US economy continues to show signs of increased economic activity and a sustained recovery so that CIOs and other IT managers polled expect to increase hiring for important projects. Overall, the majority of these tech executives expect to keep staffing at current levels.
In the latest quarterly survey, 8% of CIOs interviewed said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 5% expect cutbacks, for a net 3% projected increase in hiring activity. Most CIOs plan to maintain their current staff levels: 85% of those surveyed plan no change in hiring, up 15 points from the first quarter.
In the same survey, 87%of technology executives were somewhat or very optimistic about their companies' growth prospects in the next three months, and 77% felt confident in their firms' second-quarter investment in IT projects.
Key Findings From the Report
The net 3% increase in anticipated IT hiring activity is down seven points from a net 10% increase in hiring activity projected last quarter.
85% of CIOs plan to maintain their current staffing levels, up 15 points from the first quarter.
Networking and IT security professionals are in greatest demand, followed closely by help desk/technical support professionals, according to survey respondents.
65% of CIOs said it's challenging to find skilled professionals today.
"Although hiring in the second quarter isn't expected to be as robust as it was at the beginning of the year,
the trend remains positive. Those in hot specialties, such as networking and IT security, will continue to be
in strong demand," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Mobile media is an especially
important area of growth right now."
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