Denver CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For First Half Of 2015

Survey Finds 18 Percent of Denver CIOs Plan to Expand IT Teams

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Dec 02, 2014, 08:05 ET

DENVER, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report for Denver shows that 18 percent of Denver-area chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed recently plan to expand their IT teams in the first half of 2015. This is up 6 points compared to projections from the previous six-month period (July – December 2014). Another 67 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 13 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 2 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the first half of the year.

Denver IT Hiring Forecast - First Half of 2015

Denver IT Hiring Forecast	July – Dec.	Jan. – June
	2014	2015*
CIOs adding more staff to IT departments	12%	18%
CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles	79%	67%
CIOs who plan to put IT hiring plans on hold	9%	13%
CIOs who plan to reduce their IT staff	0%	2%
Don't know future hiring plans	0%	1%
*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic of the research findings.

"Denver continues to be a hub for new companies and startup organizations, and many of them are investing in initiatives that require IT professionals with a range of skills," said Ted Hellmuth, Denver division director of Robert Half Technology. "This has intensified the competition for top talent with network administration, security and desktop support experience."

The 2015 hiring projections are based on interviews with 100 CIOs who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook. 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 Denver 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
In terms of recruiting, 62 percent of Denver 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 database management (19 percent), security (15 percent) and networking (13 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth
The survey results suggest that Denver CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth. Eighty-four percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the first half of the year. This compares to 92 percent in the second half of 2014.

Skills in Demand
Seventy-one percent of Denver technology executives surveyed said that network administration is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Desktop support and wireless network management followed, with 65 percent and 56 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 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.

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SOURCE Robert Half Technology