On the upside, there is a definite talent shortage in the IT market — but in potentially less encouraging news, it’s a shortage of the right skills.
Application development. Number one on the list for the third year in a row is this skill, which 49 percent of managers expecting to hire this year are looking for.
Help desk and IT support. Considering the rate of introduction for new technologies, this one shouldn’t be surprising as the second most in-demand skill, with 44 percent of managers looking to fill positions here in 2014. In fact, demand for IT support is rising faster than any other area — it’s up from 37 percent last year.
Business intelligence and database analysis / development. These two separate skills tied for third place on the top 10 list. In both cases, 29 percent of hiring managers have plans to increase their staffing for BI and data-related positions — including database administrators, database developers, and database architects.
The remaining IT skills on the top 10 list include:
- Security
- Network administration
- Networking
- Cloud computing
- Web design and development
- Data management
Beyond hard skills: A shortage of sought-after qualities
One of the difficulties hiring managers face in finding the right IT talent is their own desire to employ the perfectly well-rounded candidate — a skilled IT pro who also has great people skills and problem-solving abilities.
The role of IT workers is changing, and it’s no longer sufficient to deliver a flawless technical performance. Tech pros who are most in-demand are those who can demonstrate flexibility in their approaches, and who are able to break down and explain complex technical concepts in language that executives, co-workers, and end users can understand.
The outlook for IT salaries
In addition to hot job skills, the Computerworld survey looks at salary data in both current and historical senses. This year, average IT salary changes include:
- Average pay increases of 2.1%
- Average bonus increases of 0.7%
- 60% of IT pros reported receiving raises (up from 57% last year)
- 8% reported pay cuts (down from 9% last year)
- 61% of IT professionals feel secure in their jobs
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