Indianapolis CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans And Top Priorities For First Half Of 2017

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixteen percent of Indianapolis area technology executives surveyed recently expect to expand their IT teams in the first half of 2017, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. In addition, 70 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 14 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and just 1 percent expect to reduce their IT staffing levels in the first six months of the year. Hiring is not all technology leaders are thinking about, as 29 percent said maintaining the security of their IT systems and safeguarding company information, along with helping to grow the business, are their most top-of-mind concerns for the first half of 2017, while investing in new technologies followed with 16 percent of the response.

Top Concerns for CIOs

To further understand the priorities of Indianapolis CIOs for the upcoming year, they were asked, "In addition to recruitment, which of the following do you anticipate will be top-of-mind for you in the next six months?" Their responses:

• Maintaining security of IT systems/safeguarding company information (29 percent)
• Helping grow the business (29 percent)
• Investing in new technologies (16 percent)
• Staff retention (13 percent) 
• Upgrading existing systems (12 percent)

"The demand for skilled IT talent in Indianapolis is strong," said Jill Crowe, senior regional vice president of Robert Half Technology in Indianapolis. "Qualified candidates with hot skills are being placed swiftly, especially within the consulting/software, manufacturing and financial sectors. Many Indianapolis companies are being strategic about their IT hiring plans for 2017 and preparing now for increased IT support-related hiring due to PC rollouts and end-user product support."

Crowe added, "Building relocations, technology updates and maintenance of existing applications is driving hiring for many roles, including network engineers, application developers and IT support professionals."

Hiring forecasts are based on interviews with more than 2,500 CIOs from 25 major U.S. markets who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook.

Recruiting Challenges & Skills in Demand

Hiring challenges remain, as 66 percent of Indianapolis CIOs said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today. The skills in greatest demand within their organizations, according to respondents, include:

• Network administration (48 percent)
• Windows administration (48 percent)
• Database management (47 percent)
• Desktop support (46 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 roberthalf.com/technology. Visitors can also request a copy of the Robert Half Technology 2017   Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions.

Survey Methodology

The survey was 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. Robert Half Technology has been tracking IT hiring activity in the United States since 1995.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160212/332877LOGO

SOURCE Robert Half Technology

Related Links

https://www.roberthalf.com/technology