The employment market for IT professionals

Advice 2010-03-03 20:26

James Parsons, MD of technology recruiter Arrows Group says employers need think carefully about both their attraction

It has finally been announced that the UK is officially out of recession - business confidence is returning and budgets are rising. This means that not only are more organisations increasing headcounts, but more IT professionals are considering a move after putting job hunting on hold during the uncertain times we have faced over the last 18 months. As conditions improve what is happening in the IT employment market and what should employers be aware of?

This looks likely to create a skills gap further down the line and in a few years when business is booming again, where will we find developers with two or three years of experience behind them? Employers really need to think about their pipeline of talent and feeding people in at the bottom so that they’re not suffering the consequences in the future as the war for talent will soon be back with a vengeance.

Other current trends include the decreasing numbers of IT professionals taking positions in the City. As the City’s financial institutions were badly hit by the economic crisis, the influx of people to positions in these companies understandably slowed a considerable amount. Although the banks are now getting back on their feet, technology professionals who may have previously worked, or considered working, in the City are now beginning to see telecoms as a tempting alternative to finance for their next career move. With industries like telecoms leading the way in the field of technology thanks to the success of devices like the iPhone, specialists such as developers are now in great demand.

The year ahead looks promising for IT professionals with more and more opportunities arising. Employers need to be thinking carefully about both their attraction and retention strategies as the jobs market once again becomes more competitive and everyone looks to grab the best talent to help their business succeed.