Seattle CIOs Reveal Second-Quarter Hiring Plans

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen percent of Seattle-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, 67 percent of Seattle CIOs plan to hire only to fill open IT roles, 16 percent have put hiring plans on hold, and 3 percent expect to reduce their IT staff. This is the first quarter that Robert Half has conducted a survey of this kind specific to Seattle.

Q2 Seattle IT Hiring Forecast

"With an extremely low unemployment rate for tech professionals, companies are recognizing that they need to move fast to secure top IT talent, especially in the areas of development, help desk and desktop support," said Ester Frey, Seattle regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. "Hiring activity has been strongest within the healthcare, e-commerce and professional services sectors."

The IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 100 CIOs from companies in the Seattle 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 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, 64 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 data/database management (19 percent), networking (13 percent) and help desk/technical support (12 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments
The survey results suggest that Seattle CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investments. Eighty-four percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the second quarter of 2013.

Seventy-two 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 Seattle technology executives surveyed, 51 percent said that database management is the skill set in greatest demand within their IT department. Desktop support and network administration followed, with 48 percent and 45 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 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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