Quarterly hiring survey

More CIOs expect to hire IT staff in the third quarter than the current quarter, according to the results of a survey from Robert Half Technology. The overall 7% expected increase in hiring activity is up 3% from a second quarter forecast, which is hopefully a sign that the market is slowly improving.

The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on responses from more than 1,400 CIOs in U.S. firms with at least 100 employees. One-tenth of those surveyed plan to expand their IT departments, while 3% anticipate staff reductions. However, 86% of respondents expected no change at all in staffing.

“The hiring climate overall remains conservative,” says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “However, some firms are moving forward with systems upgrades that were previously on hold, particularly those designed to enhance customer service or achieve greater operational efficiencies.”

Here are some of the survey highlights:

*IT executives who do expect to hire attribute the primary reason to business expansion, followed by a desire to improve customer support.

*CIOs from midsize companies with between 250 to 499 employees are the most optimistic about hiring plans. Of these respondents, 13% expect to add personnel and 3% anticipate layoffs.

*Microsoft Windows (NT/2000/XP) administration skills are needed most, followed by Cisco network administration.

*IT positions in highest demand include help desk specialist, programmer/analyst and network administrator. Half of respondents will be seeking staff-level pros, while 24% will seek midlevel managers.

*Respondents in the Pacific and New England regions projected a net 9% hiring activity increase for next quarter. In particular, businesses in the Pacific are looking for security experts and application developers, while New England needs database administrators and project managers who can help companies centralize isolated ERP and CRM applications.

*CIOs in the business services industry are most bearish on hiring in the third quarter, with 12% expecting to add 2% anticipating staff reductions for a net increase of 10%.

For more information about Robert Half Technology, go to www.roberthalftechnology.com