CIOs Reveal First Quarter Hiring Plans

Technology executives expect information technology hiring to increase in the first quarter of 2013, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report (rht.mediaroom.com/ITHiringIndex). In the latest quarterly survey, 17 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 8 percent expect cutbacks, for a net 9 percent projected increase in hiring activity. This is up six points from the previous quarter's projections. Seventy-five percent of CIOs plan to maintain their current staffing levels.

The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees. Executives are asked whether their companies plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time IT personnel on their staff during the coming quarter. The survey is conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half has been tracking IT hiring activity in the United States since 1995.

Key Findings

•        The net 9 percent increase in anticipated IT hiring activity is up six points from the net 3 percent increase in hiring activity projected last quarter.
•        Seventy-five percent of CIOs plan to maintain their current staffing levels.
•        IT security professionals, applications development professionals, and data/database management professionals are the most challenging to find, according to survey respondents.
•        Sixty-three percent of CIOs said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled professionals today, up nine points from the previous quarter.
•        Eighty-seven percent of CIOs are somewhat or very confident in their companies' growth prospects in the next three months.
•        Nearly half (49 percent) of technology executives expressed confidence that their firms will be investing in IT projects in the first quarter.

CIOs report higher demand for IT professionals in the first quarter, especially for those with skills in hot areas such as applications development and IT security, said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. In the new year, we often see increased hiring as firms' budgets for 2013 have been approved and they are able to hire additional personnel.

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments

Eighty-seven percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the first quarter of 2013.

Forty-nine percent of CIOs also said they are confident that their firms would invest in IT projects in the first quarter of 2013; 48 percent are not very or not at all confident.

Skills in Demand

The functional areas in which executives said it is very challenging to find skilled IT professionals are IT security (14 percent), applications development (12 percent) and data/database management (12 percent).

Database management is the skill set in greatest demand, cited by 48 percent of CIOs. Network administration and web development/website design were next, with 47 percent and 33 percent of the response, respectively.

Robert Half Technology is a 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. Request a copy of the Robert Half Technology 2013 Salary Guide www.roberthalftechnology.com/SalaryCenter, which includes a range of IT job descriptions.