Hiring Outlook Gets Even Rosier

Despite the slow economic recovery, information technology jobs continue to grow, with more than 70 percent of IT recruiters and hiring managers planning to add tech staff in the second half of 2012, according to a new survey by Dice.com.

Dice’s spring hiring survey of more than 800 human resources managers, recruiters and consultants found that 73 percent plan to add more tech staff in the second half of 2012, with 18 percent of them planning to add a substantial number of jobs. That’s up from 65 percent six months ago when asked about their hiring expectations for the first half of 2012, Dice found.

The increases in hiring do not appear to be a result of employee turnover or retirements, as only 37 percent of respondents said that voluntary departures have increased in 2012.

Unlike federal employees, who have been under a two-year pay freeze since last year, the majority of salaries for techies have increased in 2012, with 58 percent saying that salaries are at least slightly higher than last year. Thirty-seven percent said salaries are the same as last year, while 2 percent said salaries are slightly or significantly less than last year.

Tech professionals of all experience levels are in demand, but some respondents cited different priorities than others, the survey found. For example, HR professionals said their greatest needs were for workers with two to five years of experience, while recruiters and staffing and consulting companies said they needed more experienced professionals with six to 10 years of experience, Dice found.

Still, many companies are noting that the time to fill positions has increased, in large part because of the inability to find qualified professionals. Forty-five percent of respondents said the time to fill open positions has lengthened since last year, citing the lack of qualified applicants (48 percent) and the desire of hiring managers to hold out for the perfect candidate (34 percent) as reasons for the delays.