CIOs talk about hiring for IT jobs in Boston

Posted on September 8, 2013

Robert Half International just released their fourth quarter reporter on CIOs, and many are discussing their plans for hiring for IT jobs in Boston, among other cities.

Eleven percent of U.S. chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed recently say they will expand their IT teams in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report.

That’s less than the 12 percent from the previous quarter.

Sixty-five percent of CIOs plan to hire only for open IT roles, 19 percent expect to put hiring plans on hold, and 5 percent plan to reduce their IT staff in the fourth quarter.

Eighty-six percent of CIOs said they are somewhat or very confident about their companies’ prospects for growth in the fourth quarter, and 64 percent said they are somewhat or very confident that their firms will invest in IT projects in the fourth quarter.

The survey is based on more than 2,300 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees in 23 major metro areas. Robert Half Technology has been tracking IT hiring activity in the United States since 1995.

Fifty-four percent said that desktop support was the skill set in greatest demand within their IT department. Network administration and database management followed, each with a response of 52 percent.

Eighty-six percent reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies’ prospects for growth in the fourth quarter of 2013; 64 percent said they are somewhat or very confident that their firms will invest in IT projects in the fourth quarter.

“IT hiring managers remain selective when hiring, but know they need to move fast to acquire top talent in hot specialty areas such as networking and help desk support,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Nearly seven in 10 CIOs surveyed cited current recruiting difficulties. Many firms are increasing their focus on retention because candidates in these areas of IT can be hard to find.”