Des Moines CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For First Half Of 2015

Survey Finds 20 Percent of Des Moines CIOs Plan to Expand IT Teams

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Dec 02, 2014, 08:06 ET

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report for Des Moines shows that 20 percent of Des Moines-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 77 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 3 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and none expects to reduce their IT staff in the first half of the year. This is the second time the survey has been conducted, and the first time we have comparative data for the greater metropolitan Des Moines area.

Des Moines IT hiring forecast for the first half of 2015. Survey by Robert Half Technology.

Des Moines IT Hiring Forecast	July – Dec.	Jan. – June
	2014*	2015
CIOs adding more staff to IT departments	14%	20%
CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles	82%	77%
CIOs who plan to put IT hiring plans on hold	4%	3%
CIOs who plan to reduce their IT staff	1%	0%
Don't know future hiring plans	0%	0%

*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic of the research findings.

"It's an exciting time for technology professionals in Des Moines. Many organizations are investing in the latest technologies for their applications development environment so they can keep pace with the competition and provide the best user experience for customers," said Stacey Singleton, Des Moines regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. "As a result of these ongoing projects, we are seeing increased demand for web developers, software engineers and programmer analysts."

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 Des Moines 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, 75 percent of Des Moines 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 software development (27 percent), networking (18 percent) and security (17 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth

The survey results suggest that Des Moines CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth. Ninety-two 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 93 percent in the second half of 2014.

Skills in Demand

Sixty-four percent of Des Moines technology executives surveyed said that database management is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Network administration and desktop support followed, with 62 percent and 58 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