Hays Australia has added to the growing body of research that shows the need for skilled IT workers is high in the country. The recruitment firm revealed in its latest quarterly jobs report that demand outstrips supply in various disciplines across the sector, meaning qualified candidates now have much greater choice in roles.
Peter Noblet, Senior Regional Director of Hays Information Technology, said the IT industry is currently in the spotlight after Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull unveiled a $1 billion innovation initiative. A number of high-profile tech successes on the global stage have also boosted Australia’s standing.
“Candidates in greatest demand have solid technical skills and strong soft skills that enable them to engage proactively and successfully with non-technical stakeholders. But finding candidates with this combination of skills remains difficult,” Mr Noblet explained.
Is your business struggling to find the right talent? Register with Apprenticeship Central to learn more about how IT apprenticeships and traineeships could help. The site offers a range of information and resources, as well as a search function to identify suitable candidates in your area.
Recent figures from SEEK showed front-end programmers are particularly in demand in Australia, with job listings for this role jumping 50 per cent year on year. In fact, the number of adverts for the position climbed more than any other listings over the last 12 months.
The organisation also said 68 per cent of Australians would like to switch industries. SEEK Employment Managing Director Michael Ilczynski suggested the new year, in conjunction with double-digit growth in some professions, could make now an exciting time for people to consider their career options.
According to Hays, there are multiple skills gaps in the IT industry, including front-end developers. People with cloud-based and mobile technology knowledge are highly sought after, while security specialists and project services experts are also in short supply.
Even newly qualified candidates are likely to benefit from greater opportunities. Hays claimed businesses are placing more emphasis on soft skills and cultural fit, as they believe technical skills can be learned on the job provided applicants show the right attitude and passion.
“We are also seeing a spike in the number of organisations of all types leveraging technology to create or manage transformational change, as well as more non-tech departments learning how to use the latest technology to help them perform tasks in new ways,” Mr Noblet stated.
He added that there are very few departments in modern businesses where technology growth isn’t having a significant impact.
