Hot IT Skills to Hire for in 2016

IT skills are in demand. It’s no surprise. But what are the hot skills to be on the lookout for in 2016 when you’re hiring? According to Computerworld’s Forecast 2016 survey, here are the 10 top skills:

1. IT architecture
New to the list this year.

2. Programming/application development
40% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

3. Project management
39% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

4. Big data
36% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

5. Business intelligence/analytics
34% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

6. Help desk/technical support
30% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

7. Database administration
25% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

8. Security/compliance/governance
25% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

9. Cloud/SaaS
25% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

10. Web development
24% of respondents with hiring plans said they will be seeking people with this skill in the next 12 months.

If you’re an IT pro, it’s clearly a great time to work in IT. Demand is high and unemployment is at historic lows. As an employer, though, this can pose a challenge. In fact, according to reports, a full 8 in 10 IT leaders find it moderately to severely difficult to find qualified candidates.

However, there is one solution that can give you access to a wider pool of talent while also keeping your company flexible: temporary staffing. When you hire technical professionals on a temporary or contract basis, you can benefit from:

  • More flexibility. Use contractors as you need them or until a project is complete. You gain the skills and knowledge you need without any of the overhead. You can more quickly respond to new opportunities and changes in the market. Plus, contractors can help keep core employees more productive by ensuring they’re not overworked.
  • Test out candidates. Using a temporary model lets you test out employees before you make a full-time hiring decision. So if you’re not sure whether you really need to hire full time, bring a contractor or temporary worker on board. That why you can better assess their skills and strengths – as well as whether your company can sustain demand to where it makes sense to extend a full-time offer.
  • Gain access to specialized skills and expertise. Sometimes you need a specialized skill set on a short-term basis. Temporary staffing gives you fast access to the specialized talent you need, where and when you need it.

Clearly, temporary staffing offers a host of benefits. But not all agencies are created equal. If you’re interested in leveraging the power of temporary staffing for your IT needs, call the technical staffing experts at Morgan Hunter.

As leading Kansas City technical recruiters, we specialize in recruiting technology professionals, ranging from Chief Information Officers to Desktop Support. All candidates are rigorously screened and tested by our consultants to ensure their technical compatibility, and to identify the personality traits that will allow them to blend smoothly into your organization. Contact us today to learn more.