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IT recruitment - August 2009
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17/08/2009
IT recruitment managers might be forgiven for having a few sleepless nights of late. Theirs is a fast-moving sector as it is and there is little doubt the recession would have given them, and others working in the field, a great deal to worry about. Now though, it seems that there is something of a light at the end of the tunnel. While signs of a recovery remain faint, it does appear that the recession has bottomed out and although the short-term goal for many businesses will no doubt continue to be survival, some will be in a position to look to the future.
But even if those working in the sector can breathe a little more easily, how likely is it they will be able to progress their career? Karen Price, chief executive officer of e-skills, believes that people who have remained focused on their professional development should be able to set themselves apart from the crowd.
She said: "In today's highly competitive environment, people entering IT professional careers in the UK need to progress to more highly-skilled and demanding roles faster than ever before."
For this reason, Ms Price added, ensuring their skills are up to date is vital to career development.
Despite this, even the most talented workers might struggle to land a role when the upturn comes. Why? Well, with such a glut of mainstream talent available, it looks set to be a hirer's market when things do start to improve. However, this does not mean that companies are able to access the people they need. Indeed, a recent study by e-skills found that around a quarter of businesses within IT and telecoms are struggling to appoint the talent their firm requires.
In the long term, the recession could actually lead to an intensification of this war for talent as the UK government feeds stimulus cash into what it believes will be one of the country's most important economic branches. With this money starting to reach projects on the ground, and the general economic gloom beginning to lift, Diccon Lynes, director at the Ashdown Group, believes the IT industry is once again heading in the right direction.
He said: "While it might be a little soon to be talking about green shoots, our job index indicates that the worst may well be behind us."
Logically then, firms that want to make sure they take advantage of any opportunities for growth that the recovery presents should think about their recruitment needs now, rather than waiting until the pool of talent has evaporated.
Posted by John Lynes.
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