Chicago CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Second Half Of 2015
Robert Half Technology Survey Shows 21 Percent Plan to Expand IT Staff
CHICAGO, June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-one percent of Chicago-area technology executives recently surveyed expect to expand their information technology (IT) teams in the second half of 2015, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. This is a 4-point increase from the previous six months and an 8-point increase from the same time period in 2014. In addition, 72 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 6 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 1 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the last six months of the year.
| Chicago IT Hiring Forecast* |
July – Dec. 2014 |
Jan. – June 2015 |
July – Dec. |
| CIOs adding more staff to IT departments |
13% |
17% |
21% |
| CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles |
77% |
68% |
72% |
| CIOs who plan to put IT hiring plans on hold |
8% |
11% |
6% |
| CIOs who plan to reduce their IT staff |
0% |
4% |
1% |
| Don't know future hiring plans |
3% |
0% |
0% |
| *Numbers may not total 100 percent due to rounding. |
|||
View an infographic of research highlights.
"While development positions, such as .NET and Java developers, continue to be in high demand, we've recently seen a surge in infrastructure roles — including systems administrators, systems engineers and network engineers — as firms devote more resources to strategic planning," said Randy Wolf, Chicago regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. "In this market, it's especially important for employers to accelerate their hiring process and provide additional benefits in order to secure top talent."
Hiring forecasts are based on interviews with more than 2,500 chief information officers (CIOs) from 25 major U.S. markets who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook.
Recruiting Challenges and Skills in Demand
Recruiting still remains a challenge, as 64 percent of CIOs said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today. They also revealed the skills in greatest demand within their organizations, which include:
- Desktop support (58 percent)
- Network administration (57 percent)
- Wireless network management (55 percent)
Addressing Recruiting Challenges
Seventy-two percent of survey respondents said they are taking action to address recruiting challenges for IT staff. The following is a breakdown of the steps they are taking:
- Using recruiters or staffing firms (51 percent)
- Increasing networking activities (48 percent)
- Offering referral bonuses (38 percent)
- Hiring consultants to augment current staff (36 percent)
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 2015 Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions.
Survey Methodology
The surveys were developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. To ensure that companies from all segments were represented in the study, the sample was stratified by number of employees. The results were weighted to reflect the appropriate employee population in the United States. The margin of error is +/-1.6 percent at the 90 percent confidence level. 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.
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SOURCE Robert Half Technology
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