Charlotte CIOs Reveal 2014 Hiring Plans

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nine percent of Charlotte, N.C.-area technology executives recently surveyed expect to expand their IT teams in the first half of 2014, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. This is the same percentage that planned to increase their teams in the previous six-month period (June-December 2013). In addition, 69 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 20 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 2 percent expect to reduce IT staff in the first six months of the year.

In the same survey, 87 percent of Charlotte, N.C., chief information officers (CIOs) were optimistic about their companies' prospects for growth in the first half of 2014, and 67 percent felt confident in their firms' plans to invest in IT projects.          

*Moving forward, the CIO survey will be conducted semi-annually versus quarterly. Numbers from 2013 are the average of responses for Q3 and Q4 2013.
**Numbers may not total 100 percent due to rounding.

"Many companies are hiring IT professionals now and plan to do more hiring in early 2014," said Lucy Marino, Charlotte branch manager of Robert Half Technology. "We're seeing the strongest demand for IT professionals in the manufacturing, healthcare, high-tech and finance industries."

The 2014 hiring projections are based on interviews with 100 CIOs who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook. The 2013 projections are based on an average of two separate CIO surveys conducted in the second and third quarters of 2013. In each of these surveys, 100 CIOs were asked about their hiring plans for the next three months. The surveys were developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. In order to ensure that companies from all segments were represented, the sample was stratified by number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper number of employees in the greater metropolitan Charlotte area. Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis and has been tracking IT hiring activity in the United States since 1995.

Recruiting Challenges

Sixty-seven percent of Charlotte CIOs said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today. It is most challenging to find skilled talent in the functional areas of help desk/technical support (17 percent), security (17 percent) and applications development (15 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments

The survey results suggest that Charlotte CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investments. Eighty-seven percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the first six months of 2014.

This compares to 82 percent in the last half of 2013.

Sixty-seven percent of CIOs also said they are confident that their firms will invest in IT projects in the first half of 2014. This compares to 57 percent in the last six months of 2013.

Skills in Demand

Forty-six percent of the Charlotte technology executives surveyed said that desktop support is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Network administration and database management followed, with 41 percent and 37 percent of the response, respectively.

About Robert Half Technology

With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at www.rht.com. Visitors can also request a copy of the Robert Half Technology 2014 Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions.

SOURCE Robert Half Technology

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