Positive Growth Expectations Mean More IT Job Creation Through the Second Half of 2014

After a successful first half of the year, hiring managers are incredibly confident that IT hiring will continue at a consistent rate. Of the hiring managers <a href="http://resources.dice.com/report/june-2014-dice-report-special-edition-hiring-survey/">surveyed by Dice</a>, 70% intend to hire more technical professionals through the end of 2014. While these statistics only give insight on national averages, there are equally promising survey results that indicate, regionally, Dallas/Fort Worth is the place to be in the IT industry!

Growth expectations are relatively consistent throughout the nation, but the South dominates as a region in several categories. Only 46% of hiring managers in the South are experiencing issues with finding qualified IT candidates compared to 48% in the West and 54% in the Midwest. While the percentage is still at almost half, this statistic reflects favorably on the available talent pool in DFW. However, talented developers often come with higher expectations. The South, as a region, had the highest percentage of candidate's willingness to ask for more money, at a staggering 63%. And, with the market in such a competitive state, they aren't asking for unreasonable compensation. When a larger number of IT companies increase their available roles, it will take more than simply shuffling employed IT professionals around at comparable roles and rates. Increased responsibility, ample creative benefits like flex-time, unlimited PTO and tuition reimbursements are the kinds of invest
ments organizations will need to make if they are not willing to bump up annual salaries. This may not be enough to sway the top tech talent away from their current positions, but it could pull mid-level talent from mismanaged companies that don't foster a learning environment for their IT professionals.

Finding an ideal balance between candidate's desired salaries and company's required skill level is an art form, and Dallas/Fort Worth may have a leg up on surrounding areas. With a prosperous reputation in the tech industry, the region's talent pool continues to grow. <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/headlines/20140625-dallas-region-sees-growth-in-software-and-mobile-app-development-talent.ece">The Dallas Morning News</a> found that, "in 2013 the number of computer and software programming jobs in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area had more than doubled to 23,193 when compared to 10,387 in 2013." While this is incredibly good news, the influx of IT talent pales in comparison to the amount of IT jobs opening up in DFW. Even as IT professionals increasingly migrate to the area, there are far too few to fill the available information technology positions.

As demand for skilled IT professionals continues to expand across the country--and around the world--a pool of experienced candidates comparable to Dallas/Fort Worth's will be hard to find. However, scarcity of IT professionals will still occur in DFW due to the massive amount of open positions. Companies are taking notice of candidates' increased salary demands and must be ready to meet them if they hope to attain all of the tech talent they need through the end of 2014. As competition for qualified IT candidates continues, the tech industry will need to create more opportunities for in-house training and education incentives in order to stay ahead of the pack.