CIOs Reveal First-Quarter Hiring Plans

Technology executives expect information technology (IT) hiring to continue in the first quarter of 2012, according to the just-released Robert HalfTechnology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 20 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 10 percent expect cutbacks, for a net 10 percent projected increase in hiring activity. This is up four points from the previous quarter's projections.  

Key Findings

-- The net 10 percent increase in anticipated IT hiring activity is up four points from a net 6 percent increase in hiring activity projected last quarter.

-- Networking and IT security professionals are in greatest demand, according to survey respondents.

-- Almost three quarters (73 percent) of CIOs said it's challenging to find skilled professionals today, up seven points from the previous quarter.

 -- Eight-eight percent of CIOs are confident in their companies' growth prospects in the next three months.

-- Eighty-three percent of technology executives expressed confidence in their firms' first-quarter investment in IT projects, rating the possibility of IT investment a 3 or higher on a five point scale, with 5 being most confident. 

Skills in Demand

The functional areas in which executives say they are experiencing the greatest challenge in finding skilled IT professionals are networking (20 percent) and IT security (19 percent). Applications development, data/database management and help desk/technical support followed, cited by 15 percent, 11 percent and 10 percent of survey respondents, respectively. 

Network administration remains the skill set in greatest demand, cited by 57 percent of CIOs. Windows administration and desktop support were next, each with 56 percent of the response.

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