Seattle CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Second Half Of 2014
Robert Half Technology Survey Finds Continued IT Hiring Through Year-End
SEATTLE, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report for Seattle shows that 16 percent of Seattle-area chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed recently plan to expand their IT teams in the second half of 2014. This is up 1 point compared to projections from the previous six-month period (January – June 2014). Another 76 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 6 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 2 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the second half of the year.
| Seattle IT Hiring Forecast |
Jan. – June |
July – Dec. |
| 2014* |
2014 |
|
| CIOs adding more staff to IT departments |
15% |
16% |
| CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles |
74% |
76% |
| CIOs who plan to put IT hiring plans on hold |
10% |
6% |
| CIOs who plan to reduce their IT staff |
2% |
2% |
| Don't know future hiring plans |
0% |
0% |
| *Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding. |
"Cloud-based projects and mobile initiatives continue to fuel the demand for IT hiring in Seattle," said Megan Slabinski, Seattle district president of Robert Half Technology. "We're seeing increased demand for network and systems positions that require cloud engineering experience, as well as DevOps roles in Linux environments."
The 2014 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 Seattle 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, 70 percent of Seattle 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 (21 percent), security (18 percent) and networking (14 percent).
Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments
The survey results suggest that Seattle CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investments. Ninety-one percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the second half of 2014. This compares to 90 percent in the first half of the year.
Seventy-three percent of CIOs also said they are confident that their firms will invest in IT projects in the second half of 2014. This compares to 64 percent in the first six months of the year.
Skills in Demand
Fifty-five percent of Seattle technology executives surveyed said that network administration is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Database management and desktop support followed, with 51 percent and 49 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. Follow Robert Half Technology at twitter.com/RobertHalfTech or visit our technology blog at blog.rht.com.
SOURCE Robert Half Technology
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