Post-Pandemic, ‘IT Talent Market Will Never Be the Same’
The report is based on insights from 245 IT professionals who participated in the industry survey.
March 18, 2022
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As the economy has stabilized, more jobs have become available, creating a job seeker’s market. This is a clear sign of confidence in the economy, however fragile, as new waves of the pandemic continue, Info-Tech Research Group’s study revealed.
The survey found that 47% of respondents are hiring external talent to fill existing gaps, with 40% using external training programs to upgrade current employees. Survey respondents cited skill shortages in highly technical areas like security and enterprise architecture.
Movement in the job market, such as new jobs posted and voluntary turnover, can indicate increased confidence in the economy. During the height of the pandemic, both employees and employers were focused on stability to ensure lifestyle or survival and managing through the uncertainty. Organizations now looking to manage retention need to provide an employee experience driven by culture and purpose.
Salary and compensation were identified by 57% of respondents as the reasons employees resigned. Professional development and opportunity for innovative work are also in the top three reasons for resignation, which indicates that when employees feel stagnant in their roles, they will look elsewhere for opportunities.
Having DE&I policies in place is only the beginning. Meaningful change and conversations need to take place before they will have a lasting effect. IT departments must be ready to work with HR to take ownership of any shortcomings related to DEI within their department.
Despite being important to potential job seekers, only one in three (33%) organizations reported that they delivered DE&I training over the past year. Respondents list time and resources as barriers to implementing DE%I initiatives.
With most organizations embarking on a hybrid work model, leadership must ensure this change is supported by the organization’s culture. Not a post-pandemic fad, remote work is the natural, if accelerated, evolution of work culture in a digital world.
Going into 2022, 76% of employees rate remote/flexible work as being “very important” in choosing an employer. And most respondents believe that most roles in IT are capable of being performed remotely. Nine in 10 (91%) organizations plan to offer remote work, but 23% of leaders are not open to the idea at all.
The expansion of remote work presents new challenges for managers, from managing remote employees’ productivity to building team connectedness in the age of video conferences. Organizations must ensure managers have the right skills to manage these new ways of working effectively.
Nearly three in four (72%) respondents report their IT department is very effective at managing remote staff. However, front-line staff rate remote management effectiveness lower than managers or senior leaders.
The expansion of remote work presents new challenges for managers, from managing remote employees’ productivity to building team connectedness in the age of video conferences. Organizations must ensure managers have the right skills to manage these new ways of working effectively.
Nearly three in four (72%) respondents report their IT department is very effective at managing remote staff. However, front-line staff rate remote management effectiveness lower than managers or senior leaders.
Info-Tech Research Group, a research and advisory firm, has released its 2022 trends report on the IT talent market. This new research features insights and strategies on how organizations can incorporate new ways of working to build and keep the best team.
The pandemic forced the world to work differently for the past two years. Info-Tech’s research indicates that to compete, successful organizations will need to incorporate new ways of working. This is beyond simply having a remote work policy. The IT talent market will never be the same. Organizations must re-evaluate their employee experience from the bottom up to weather the shift to the new normal successfully.
The “IT Talent Trends 2022” report findings are based on insights from 245 IT professionals who participated in the survey. The survey data for the 2022 report is diverse, with representation from 12 countries and 18 industries. It focuses on manufacturing, government, financial, education, telecom and health care sectors.
What employees are looking for is changing. The biggest change from 2019, pre-pandemic, to today is the importance placed on culture, flexible work, and work-life balance. Organizations that fail to keep up with this shift in priorities will see the greatest difficulty in hiring and retaining staff. The five trends (see slideshow above) that Info-Tech’s research has revealed should be a top priority for IT leaders as they build and retain the best team.
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