Twin Cities CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For First Half Of 2015

Survey Finds 15 Percent of Twin Cities CIOs Plan to Expand IT Teams

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Dec 02, 2014, 08:09 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen percent of Twin Cities-area technology executives recently surveyed expect to expand their IT teams in the first half of 2015, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. This compares to 16 percent in the previous six-month period (July – December 2014). In addition, 62 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 16 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 7 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the first six months of the year.

Twin Cities IT hiring forecast for the first half of 2015. Survey by Robert Half Technology.

In the same survey, 80 percent of Twin Cities-area chief information officers (CIOs) said they are optimistic about their companies' prospects for growth in the first half of 2015.

Twin Cities IT Hiring Forecast	July – Dec. 2014*	Jan. – June 2015
CIOs adding more staff to IT departments	16%	15%
CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles	79%	62%
CIOs who plan to put IT hiring plans on hold	4%	16%
CIOs who plan to reduce their IT staff	1%	7%
Don't know future hiring plans	1%	0%

*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic of the research findings.

"As firms look to expand operations and increase their technology investment, they require skilled IT professionals to ensure their networks and data are secure," said Kathy Northamer, Twin Cities district president of Robert Half Technology. "The war for top IT talent continues in the Twin Cities, and, as such, professionals with specialized skills in C#, ASP.NET and SQL Server remain highly sought after."

The 2015 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 Twin Cities 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, 73 percent of Twin Cities 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 software development (22 percent), networking (14 percent) and applications development (14 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth

The survey results suggest that Twin Cities CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth. Eighty percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the first half of 2015. This compares to 85 percent in the second half of 2014.

Skills in Demand

Sixty-six percent of Twin Cities technology executives surveyed said that network administration is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Telecommunications support and desktop support followed, each with 56 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 rht.com. Visitors can also request a copy of the Robert Half Technology 2015 Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions.

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SOURCE Robert Half Technology