Challenges for IT recruitment in 2018
A state-of-the-market report by recruitment firm Robert Walters shows that Australia and New Zealand’s job markets are “generally healthy” and that this looks set to continue in 2018.
The report notes that the booming infrastructure and technology sectors have led to demand for project managers and engineers as well as cybersecurity and AI specialists.
The report adds that although both countries are “relatively close to full employment, we expect salary growth to be marginal in New Zealand and flat in Australia in 2018”.
Robert Walters’ MD, James Nicholson, said that he believes hiring managers in the IT sector will see highly contrasting levels of demand in 2018, depending on the jobs they are recruiting for.
“Skills shortages and average salary growth will continue in cybersecurity, robotic process automation, AI, business intelligence and analytics, not to mention digital roles in UX and UI,” Nicholson said.
“However, there is a surplus of candidates for lower level roles such as infrastructure operations, helpdesk and manual testing.”
Nicholson added that in niche areas of high demand, proactive employers will step up their efforts to retain staff in 2018.
“That may be through a combination of training and development, pay rates, flexible work environments and career progression opportunities as well as access to interesting projects and emerging technologies,” he said.
“When it comes to attracting and hiring technology specialists, larger organisations are sometimes hamstrung by processes that are inefficient or salary bands that no longer reflect market rates. In 2018, this may call for a fresh approach to recruitment.”
Nicholson said that salary bands and internal rate cards may need to be regularly reviewed and, where necessary, adjusted for niche skills or emerging roles that don’t fit into historical bands.
He also said that hiring processes should also be streamlined to allow hiring managers to move fast and avoid missing out on talent.
“Another challenge for employers in 2018 will be upskilling their existing technology workforce and investing in the next generation of technology talent to help fill the growing void in skill sets,” said Nicholson.
“It is progressively challenging for entry-level IT candidates to enter the market with so many low-level roles drying up due to years of continued offshoring or automation.
“Professionals are keenly aware of the need to work with new and emerging technologies to keep their skills relevant and in demand in the future,” he added.
“Employers who offer comprehensive training and development will have a competitive advantage in the jobs market in 2018 and beyond.”
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