Dive Brief:
- Miami has moved into the No. 1 spot for hiring IT workers in the second half of 2019, according to a Robert Half survey. Sourcing that talent will remain a challenge for the Magic City, the firm also said.
- Among the 100 IT hiring decision makers polled in Miami, 78% plan on adding full-time staff, compared with 67% nationally. But 91% said that finding skilled IT professionals in the area will be difficult. Survey respondents said the expertise needed the most is in cybersecurity; mobile development/cloud security; cloud computing/cloud architecture; database management; and business intelligence.
- Nearly all respondents said they will bring on project professionals to support in-house teams, and 65% will do so as vacancies open up. In other survey results, 100% of Miami IT leaders said they are confident in their organizations' growth prospects in the second half of the year.
Dive Insight:
The Robert Half survey is in line with a body of research indicating a high demand for tech workers and difficulty in finding skilled professionals. A Consumer Technology Association's survey from last fall showed that the demand for skilled tech workers was rising, and a Modis and General Assembly survey released in January found that a tech skills gap persists, even as hiring plans remain high. In an age of digital disruption, and given the amount of tech jobs necessary to support organizations outside of the tech industry, the need for employers to hire skilled tech workers may increase even more as they adopt new tech-driven processes.
Employers have tried a few approaches to build out a pipeline of tech workers. Some strategies have included employer-supported apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity and engineering; STEM learning programs that foster an interest in tech learning for elementary school students; and partnerships geared toward bringing tech learning to underserved communities. Many strategies have tried to both expand the tech hiring pool during low unemployment and open career opportunities for diverse groups — including women and people of color.
Talent pros can advocate for partnerships or programs they believe will help their organizations develop or source the tech talent they'll need to transition into the future. With 100% of all IT hirers in the Robert Half study anticipating future growth, talent pros will need to be proactive to overcome the challenges of the talent shortage.
