Houston CIOs Reveal Second-Quarter Hiring Plans

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen percent of Houston-area chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed recently plan to expand their IT teams in the second quarter of 2013, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. In addition, 57 percent of Houston CIOs plan to hire only to fill open IT roles, 24 percent have put hiring plans on hold, and 1 percent expect to reduce their IT staff. This is the first quarter that Robert Half has conducted a survey of this kind specific to Houston.

Q2 Houston IT Hiring Forecast

*Numbers may not total 100 percent due to rounding.

"Houston continues to be an attractive place to do business," said Steven Robinson, Houston regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. "Firms are expanding and many are relocating here, which has stimulated demand for professionals who can support key technology initiatives, such as applications development, networking and Windows administration."

The IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 100 CIOs from companies in the Houston area with 100 or more employees. The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm.  In order for the study 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 Houston 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, 71 percent of Houston 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 applications development (18 percent), data/database management (12 percent) and networking (12 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments

The survey results suggest that Houston CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investments. Ninety percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the second quarter of 2013.

Seventy-one percent of CIOs also said they were confident that their firms would invest in IT projects in the second quarter of 2013.

Skills in Demand

Among the Houston technology executives surveyed, 53 percent said that Windows administration is the skill set in greatest demand within their IT department. Desktop support and database management followed, each with 51 percent of the response.

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 2013 Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions.

SOURCE Robert Half Technology

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