Big 4 Trends Changing IT Staffing
Big 4 Trends Changing IT Staffing
It’s hardly news that the “big 4” IT trends — cloud, mobile, social and data analytics – are changing enterprise IT. As they do, they’re also changing the IT staffing picture. Some of the changes are obvious, as companies struggle to fill positions that didn’t exist until recently.
As the technology solutions enterprises need have changed, there have been less obvious effects on IT staffing as well. Currently, the greatest IT staffing demands include:
- Mobile app developers
- Data warehouse analysts
- User experience product designers
- Virtualization/Cloud computing (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS)
- Collaboration workflow
- Computer systems manufacturers
- Social media/Internet
Another fact that isn’t news is that IT spending is big business. Forrester Research says that global spending on IT services hit $3.8 trillion by the end of 2012, with a projected growth rate of 8.3% in 2013.
Gartner says that spending on the “big 4” today (cloud, mobile, social and data analytics), companies are realizing that they need to rethink their IT staffing needs. “IT staffs are being asked to design and develop new applications that will fulfill CIO and management directives to improve consumer interactivity online. These directives are driven by the desire to offer services and marketing on the platforms that consumers prefer, to automate services in order to reduce labor costs, and to better analyze online consumer behaviors for improved marketing performance,” explains Svetlana Sicular, Gartner’s Research Director.
At the same time, Sicular says, three of these trends (data analytics, cloud, and social) are at the peak of the “hype cycle”, while the hype around the fourth (mobile) continues to grow. Sicular says that the Gartner Hype Cycle is a graphic representation of the maturity and adoption cycles of specific technologies – and the hype cycle graphs for cloud, data analytics, mobile and social clearly show why it’s so hard to recruit top IT talent in these areas.
Rising Demand, Flat Budgets
Another factor that’s making recruiting difficult is that while spending on technology solutions are up this year, the overall trend for IT staffing budgets is flat, or even reduced. Instead of hiring more staff, IT departments are turning to supplemental staffing. Gartner predicts a 12% rise in the number of U.S. IT employees working for an IT staffing firm like InfoVision during 2013.
Whether the jobs are in-house or through an IT staffing firm, the skills and expertise required to fill them is higher than ever. It’s easy to send low-level jobs off shore or automate them, but higher-level jobs are still in heavy demand. Currently, the greatest demand for IT staff is in the areas of:
- Mobile app developers
- Data warehouse analysts
- User experience product designers
- Virtualization/Cloud computing (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS)
- Collaboration workflow
- Computer systems manufacturers
- Social media/Internet
Competing for Top Talent
Competition for top talent with specialized skills means that it may be hard for those with lesser skills to get top salaries – or even find a new job. Meanwhile, those who are truly rock stars in their field are finding it easier to get reasonable raises and are being recruited by IT staffing firms and enterprise IT departments alike.
Screening for job candidates is also being affected by the competition for top talent. The screening process is more rigorous than ever, with many larger firms turning to IT staffing firms like InfoVision who are known for providing top talent on a contingency basis to help them fill permanent positions.
It’s all part of the push to reduce – or at least manage costs. IT departments are hesitating to hire full time IT staff who require health insurance, benefits, severance pay and other costs. Instead, outsourcing to fill in staff through a consultancy is an option that a growing number of businesses are choosing. Then, once they know that a candidate fits into the company’s culture and team, and has all of the skills they are looking for, they’re more comfortable offering that individual the permanent job he or she wanted.
Also, many InfoVision clients rely on in-house IT staff for core processes, while our employees provide specialized services or manage development projects.
Of course, the main reason that clients hire from InfoVision is the profile of the talented people who have chosen to work with us. Our rock-star IT consultants have experience, proven performance records, and specialized skills. They like to work with us because of the salary, incentives, benefits, and freedom they get by being able to pick and choose the projects they work on.
If you’re a skilled developer, project manager, or IT manager, the InfoVision approach to IT staffing means an opportunity to become part of the best team in the industry. If you’re an enterprise IT or human resources manager searching for the best talent for a short or long term project to be completed onsite in your offices or outsourced to a proven, award-winning B2B Enterprise Applications or Mobile App Development team, contact us today about some of the ways we can work with you.