In this podcast episode, IHR’s Natasha Preocanin, Dominic Harvey from CWJobs and Steve Ward from Universum, discuss the trends and confidence in the tech talent landscape today, and the future. Although we are in a period of vast change and adaptation, tech talent remains an important part of the workforce so employers need to ensure they keep moving and developing their hiring strategy.
CWJobs, the leading UK IT job board, ran their annual Confidence Index survey in the middle of the pandemic and although this has undoubtedly had an impact on the results, in some regards, it’s been a perfect time to identify what the confidence levels are in the UK tech sector. The purpose of this annual survey is to be able to offer interesting insight to employers to help them attract and retain a diverse pool of talent, as well as increase confidence and productivity in their current workforce.
Panelists
Dominic Harvey reveals, surprisingly, that the overall level of confidence within the tech sector is still high considering the circumstances, with 81% of UK IT professionals being confident in the state of the industry, down just 8% from last year’s results. This could be connected to the spotlight that has been thrust on technology dependency over the last few months, but more surprising is that there are 38% less professionals who think their salary will increase over the next year, perhaps attributed to some concerns over jobs, budgets and future business plans.
We have seen a huge number of changes in the way we work, collaborate, and communicate that have had a big impact on all of us, and IT teams have been the backbone in ensuring people can work from home safely and without interruption to help keep businesses afloat. Therefore it’s not too hard to see why skills like IT support, cyber security and network infrastructure are needed to succeed in the tech industry today. CWJobs has also seen application numbers for roles in software development and support nearly double in the last few months, with the most active searches including “software developer”, followed closely by network and infrastructure engineer roles.
Looking to the future, respondents thought the tech skills needed to succeed will be Artificial Intelligence, as well as cyber security, cloud, internet of things and big data. There’s a clear shift in the type of skills needed for today and tomorrow, going from skills needed for day-to-day problems to the longer term issues and being able to see the bigger picture.
For the tech industry as a whole, there are still concerns around Brexit and IR35 but top of the list of current concerns is COVID-19. Technology has been seen as a salvation in the current circumstances which means that the tech market is one of the most resilient and adaptable sectors that hasn’t been impacted as heavily as other areas, which is why confidence among IT professionals is high in the long-term.
However, irrelevant of the current pandemic, future of Brexit, or IR35, the job market for tech talent is tough for any employer but right now there are some key areas that organisations can look at to attract and retain tech & IT professionals;
- Promote a career in tech
From upskilling current employees to partnering with schools and colleges - Reshape current hiring strategy
Take a look at the job ad content and how you share them - Upskill employees
Customised learning and development opportunities are key to retaining top talent - Encourage innovation within the workplace
‘Intrapreneurship’ within a company can increase competitiveness in the marketplace, helping to develop new partnerships, and increasing turnover - Promote the UK’s tech sector and retain top talent
Act as an advocate for our nation’s advanced tech capabilities to attract and retain top talent - Start preparing for IR35
Companies and workers can prepare for IR35 by accessing a tool called CEST (Check Employment Status for Tax), also known as the ‘IR35 Test’, which aims to confirm how IR35 applies to individual contractors
For more insight, thoughts and words of wisdom, do take a listen to the full podcast where Steve, Natasha and Dom talk in more detail around diversity, Brexit, IR35 and employer branding!
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Partner
For the last 20 years, CWJobs has been the home for tech jobs. We match employers from all industries with the most relevant tech talent through our innovative product technology and unique candidate audience.
Our CV database of 1.2 million skilled candidates combined with our expert understanding of tech recruitment means that our clients can find the right talent, quickly and efficiently.
For more information about CWJobs, get in touch on 0333 0145 111.
