Twin Cities CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Second Half Of 2014

MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixteen percent of Twin Cities-area technology executives recently surveyed expect to expand their IT teams in the second half of 2014, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. This compares to 21 percent in the previous six-month period (January – June 2014). In addition, 79 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 4 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 1 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the last six months of the year.

In the same survey, 85 percent of Twin Cities-area chief information officers (CIOs) said they are optimistic about their companies' prospects for growth in the second half of 2014, and 74 percent feel confident in their firms' plans to invest in IT projects.

"Unemployment in the IT sector remains low in the Twin Cities," said Kathy Northamer, Twin Cities district president of Robert Half Technology. "More employers recognize they need to move fast and pay competitively to land top tech talent, especially in the high-demand areas of web and front-end development."

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 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, 67 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 applications development (14 percent), data/database management (14 percent) and networking (14 percent).  

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments
The survey results suggest that Twin Cities CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investments. Eighty-five percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the second half of 2014. This compares to 91 percent in the first half of the year.

Seventy-four 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 70 percent in the first six months of the year.

Skills in Demand
Fifty-two percent of Twin Cities technology executives surveyed said that network administration is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Wireless network management and desktop support followed, with 43 percent and 42 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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