IT Pros Relish In-Demand Status, Tech Challenges

By Dennis McCafferty

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Staffing Surge

46% of the tech hirers surveyed plan to increase IT headcount this year, and only 19% expect to reduce headcount.
Skills Shortage

51% of these employers said they are dealing with a shortage of IT skills—down from 55% last year.
Stable Situation

Just 39% of IT pros surveyed have changed jobs within the last 12 months, down from 46% in 2012.
Open-Minded

Only 29% of these tech workers are actively seeking and applying for jobs, but 54% would entertain a call from a recruiter.
Reasons for Changing Jobs

Better work-life balance: 70%, Chance to work on innovative projects: 69%, Promise of joining a valued team: 61%, Salary factors: 61%, Potential to work with exciting tech: 59%
Fully Immersed

41% of IT employees feel that they're an integral part of their organization, and 46% said they now have more opportunity to collaborate.
External Pursuits

More than half of the tech pros surveyed have pursued or are pursuing an entrepreneurial project outside of work.
Tech Innovation Priorities

Moving apps to the cloud: 67%, Enhancing security: 63%, Analyzing big data: 57%, Accommodating flex/remote users: 50%, Collaborating on digital marketing: 46%, Managing BYOD: 46%
Futile Effort

Just one in five IT employees surveyed said their big data projects have been successful.
Daily Grind

Nearly two-thirds of them said they work more than 40 hours a week, up from 58% last year.
Honorary Title

48% of the IT pros surveyed describe themselves as "geeks"—and they are proud to do so.
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They work long hours. They're often in pursuit of the next great innovation. And due to an extended talent shortage, they're very much in demand in the job market. In this case, "they" are today's technology professionals, according to a recent survey from Harvey Nash. The accompanying report, "Harvey Nash Technology Survey: Disruptors & Disrupted—the New Tech Flux," reveals that IT employees increasingly value job stability and work-life balance. But they also relish challenges presented by disruptive tech, and they benefit from their rising presence as organizational influencers. Because of these and other factors, these tech professionlals are usually well-compensated: The average salary for U.S. tech workers is $102,729. CTOs pull in more than $137,000, software engineers make more than $100,000 and project managers take home just under $90,000, according to the findings. (Help desk crews, however, earn just under $52,000.) An estimated 3,000 global technology professionals and C-level tech leaders took part in the research, which covers a wide range of topics, including IT workers' sentiments about wearing the "geek" label.

This article was originally published on 2014-12-11

Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine.