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IT recruitment: July 2009
IT News |
06/07/2009
There can be little doubt the UK jobs market is in turmoil at the moment, official figures show that unemployment hit 2.26 million earlier this year, the highest level since the end of 1996. But does this headline figure paint a true picture? Well, no one would argue that the country is not in the grip of a recession and that this in turn is having an adverse impact on the number of opportunities available. However, the IT department has always been a business critical function and it seems unlikely that an economic downturn would change this situation.
Despite this, it is fair to say that IT has taken its share of knocks in recent months. High-profile firms including Microsoft and BT have announced job losses and contractors working for some companies have found themselves having to choose between lower rates or finding a role elsewhere.
But talk of green shoots has started already, and although recovery in the employment market traditionally lags behind a return to economic growth, there are some encouraging signs for IT professionals. The June 2009 Ashdown Group Job Index shows the number of vacancies registered has doubled since February 2009 - and the biggest increase in demand was for IT contractors.
Diccon Lynes, recruitment director of the Ashdown Group, explained that while many firms have put a recruitment freeze in place, two distinct exceptions exist.
He said: "Firstly there are companies that are not actively recruiting but still need to replace people who leave critical roles, and then there are companies who believe now is the time to take competitive advantage by hiring high-calibre people not normally available to them."
Attracting greater diversity
There are also signs that the IT sector has a broader appeal than it had in the past. A recent study by the British Computer Society's (BCS) Young Professionals Group revealed that while the industry is still dominated by men, their female counterparts are confident that there are jobs out there.
Indeed, the BCS has signed up to the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology CEO Charter, and actively encouraged all employers in the sector to do so too.
Rebecca George, chair of the BCS Women's Forum, called on employers to use a "diverse candidate list" for all external hires.
So it seems that equality could be the hottest topic in IT recruitment this month, regardless of the economic climate.
Posted by Jon Aspinell.
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