Twin Cities CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Second Half Of 2016

Robert Half Technology Survey Shows More Companies Planning to Expand IT Teams

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Jun 21, 2016, 08:16 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, June 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-nine percent of Twin Cities-area technology executives surveyed recently expect to expand their IT teams in the second half of 2016, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. This is a 14-point increase from the previous six months, as well as a year ago. In addition, 57 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 11 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 3 percent expect to reduce their IT staffing levels in the last six months of the year.

Robert Half Technology reveals Twin Cities IT hiring forecast for second half of 2016.

Twin Cities IT Hiring Forecast*	July–Dec. 2016	Jan.–June 2016	July–Dec. 2015
CIOs adding more staff to IT departments	29%	15%	15%
CIOs planning to hire only for open IT roles	57%	69%	70%
CIOs who plan to put IT hiring plans on hold	11%	12%	8%
CIOs who plan to reduce their IT staff	3%	3%	5%
Don't know future hiring plans	0%	0%	2%

*Numbers may not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic of research highlights.

"The war for tech talent in the Twin Cities is intense," said Kathy Northamer, Twin Cities district president for Robert Half Technology. "Microsoft Office 365 migrations, data analytics, and vulnerability and risk assessments are just a few of the types of projects propelling IT hiring locally. Candidates with PHP, Linux, Java, firewall and ethical hacking skills can't be placed fast enough. Hiring managers are doing everything possible to speed up the hiring process and offer creative perks to remain competitive and attract top talent."

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 and Skills in Demand

Hiring challenges remain, as 76 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 (50 percent)
Desktop support (50 percent)
Database management (46 percent)
Wireless network management (45 percent)
Telecommunications support (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 www.rht.com. Visitors can also request a copy of the Robert Half Technology 2016 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. The results were weighted to reflect the appropriate employee population in the United States. The margin of error is +/-1.6 percent at the 90 percent confidence level. 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.

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SOURCE Robert Half Technology