Just 10 percent of Detroit-area technology executives expect to expand their IT teams in the fourth quarter, according to a recent survey. This is down 1 percent from the previous quarter. In contrast, 64 percent plan to hire only for open IT positions in the upcoming quarter, 20 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 5 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the fourth quarter.
Among the skills sets in greatest demand? Network administration, database management, and desktop support.
“Web applications development, big data, and remote help desk support are just a few of the types of projects that are driving IT hiring in the Detroit area,” says Stacey Singleton, Detroit regional vice president of Robert Half Technology, the company that developed the survey. “In particular, data analysts and systems engineers are highly sought, and we’re seeing increased demand in the professional services and healthcare industries.”
Although demand is high, it appears that supply is limited. Among those surveyed, 69 percent 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 networking (19 percent), security (14 percent), and help desk/technical support (13 percent).
Overall, the survey results suggest that Detroit CIOs are positive about their companies’ growth and IT investments: 87 percent were optimistic about their companies’ prospects for growth in the fourth quarter, and 64 percent felt confident that their firms would invest in IT projects during the fourth quarter of 2013.
The Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report was conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on interviews with 200 CIOs from a stratified random sample of companies in the Detroit area with 100 or more employees.