Salt Lake City CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans And Top Priorities For First Half Of 2017

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nineteen percent of Salt Lake City-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, 67 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 10 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 3 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 36 percent named maintaining the security of their IT systems and safeguarding company information as their most top-of-mind concern for the first half of 2017, while retaining staff followed with 23 percent of the response.

Top Concerns for CIOs
To further understand the priorities of Salt Lake City 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 (36 percent)
• Staff retention (23 percent)
• Upgrading existing systems (15 percent)
• Helping grow the business (14 percent)
• Investing in new technologies (8 percent)

"The first part of the year is traditionally a very active hiring time," said Justin Rohatinsky, branch manager of Robert Half Technology in Salt Lake City. "We have more companies moving to the area, and they need professionals who can help them implement high-priority projects. Big data is seeing a resurgence, and there's more demand for full-stack developers, data scientists and business intelligence analysts. However, the supply of talent isn't keeping up with demand, and hiring remains a challenge for many employers."

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 63 percent of 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 (46 percent)
• Desktop support (45 percent)
• Database management (45 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.

SOURCE Robert Half Technology