News
Technology Hiring on the Rise
Some say it’s a reflection of a seemingly never-slowing robust economy, others might say IT’s advancement is a primary reason for the boom times. According to a recent poll of 1,400 CIOs from a stratified sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees, RHI Consulting (Menlo Park, Calif.) found that fully one-quarter of those respondent CIOs expect to hire additional personnel in the first-quarter, 2000. Taking into consideration the 3 percent who anticipate staff reductions, the net 22 percent increase is up one full percentage point from fourth-quarter 1999 projections.
"Demand for skilled technical talent remains high, driven in part by investment in IT initiatives previously placed on hold until completion of Y2K-related projects," says Greg Scileppi, executive director of RHI Consulting. "To attract and retain IT professionals in the current competitive market, employers are combining salary increases with a variety of compensation incentives such as stock options, performance-based pay and project completion bonuses."
Scileppi added that the pace at which companies adopt e-business and moving mission-critical functions online is accelerating quickly, which has lead to a steep incline in demand for staff to develop and support Web-based systems. "Companies nationwide are seeking Web application developers, database designers and systems integration specialists, among others, to manage their online initiatives," he says.
CIOs in the East North central region (OH, IN, IL, MI, WI) were the most optimistic with a net response of 32 percent expected to increase their staff levels, while those in the Pacific region (WA, OR, CA, AK, HI) were least with a net increase of 13 percent.
For more information, visit www.rhic.com.