Twin Cities CIOs Reveal Second-Quarter Hiring Plans

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight percent of Twin Cities-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, 62 percent of Twin Cities CIOs plan to hire only to fill open IT roles, 24 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 the Twin Cities.

Q2 Twin Cities IT Hiring Forecast

"Competition remains intense for top IT talent in the Twin Cities," said Kathy Northamer, Twin Cities district president of Robert Half Technology. "Virtualization, system upgrades and data management projects are fueling considerable demand for IT professionals, particularly in the areas of applications development and networking. Hiring activity continues to be strong in the financial services, healthcare and industrial sectors."

The IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 100 CIOs from companies in the Twin Cities 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 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, 62 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), networking (13 percent) and web development or web design (12 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-nine percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the second quarter of 2013.

Seventy-nine 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 Twin Cities technology executives surveyed, 59 percent said that desktop support is the skill set in greatest demand within their IT department. Database management and network administration followed, with 58 percent and 54 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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