IT project skills in high demand
Companies are dusting off projects put on hold during the global financial crisis and are clamouring for skilled workers to fill the gap, according to recruitment specialist Hays.
In the April-June Quarterly report released today, Hays said that program managers and business analysts will be in particular demand. Those with experience working with outsourcers will be the most desirable due to their ability to service multiple clients under a lot of pressure.
"These candidates are able to 'hit the ground running' thus require less training time and contribute immediately to productivity," the company said.
Particular skill-sets which Hays outlined as being sought after this quarter included:
- Windows and Windows Server Engineers;
- Network Engineers with CISCO certifications;
- those with functional experience in the Oracle eBusiness suite;
- Project Managers with experience in CRM or ERP;
- those with iPhone application development experience;
- those with networking, VoIP, MPLS and Firewall skills; and
- BizTalk, SharePoint and Senior C#.Net Developers.
Hays said that companies will either have to offer higher salaries or choose to wait for the right candidate to come at the right price, which would entail delaying key projects or overloading existing employees. Young candidates could also score training to fill gaps, and overseas candidates will likely be offered positions.
The company said that the quality of candidates was dropping, especially at the technical support level. Workers were becoming pickier about which jobs they take, with a number of applicants deciding to move to Tasmania as a lifestyle choice.
Hays advised employers to plan ahead and starting looking for the people they'll need in six, 12 or 24 months.
On the executive level, Hays said that there are some opportunities opening up in the public sector due to restructures and that a few positions were opening up for CIO roles in the commercial sector, but added that demand was low.