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Robert Half Technology survey finds 82 per cent of CIOs are confident in their companies' growth prospects for the second half of 2014

TORONTO, June 25, 2014 /CNW/ - The newly released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report shows that 14 per cent of Canadian chief information officers (CIOs) plan to expand their teams in the last half of 2014. This represents a 2-point increase from the previous survey. Another 67 per cent expect to hire only for open IT roles, compared to 74 per cent in the first six months of the year — a 7-point decrease. Seventeen per cent of technology executives plan to put their hiring on hold through the rest of the year, while only 1 per cent expects to reduce their IT staffing levels.

*Numbers may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.

"The second half of 2014 will continue to be a busy time for hiring within many IT departments, with a focus on adding skilled technology professionals for either newly created or existing open positions," said Deborah Bottineau, Senior Regional Manager of Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group. "Though confidence is strong regarding the need for technology staff, finding the required specialized talent is expected to be the most challenging when filling positions in the areas of networking, security and applications development."

The hiring projections for the first half and second half of 2014 are based on interviews with more than 270 CIOs in major Canadian markets who were asked to provide a six-month hiring outlook.

The surveys were developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. To ensure that companies from all segments were represented in the study, the sample was stratified by number of employees. The results were weighted to reflect the proper number of employees in Canada. Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis and has been tracking IT hiring activity in North America since 1995.

Recruiting Challenges

As for recruiting technology talent, 27 per cent of Canadian CIOs said it is somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals. This is a 15-point drop compared to the first half of the year. Technology executives surveyed report that it is most difficult to find skilled talent in the functional areas of networking (10 per cent), security (9 per cent) and applications development (6 per cent).

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments

The Robert Half Technology survey suggests that CIOs continue to have an optimistic outlook about their companies' growth and plans for IT investments. Eighty-two per cent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident about their companies' growth prospects for the last six months of 2014. This compares to 88 per cent for the first half of the year.

Sixty-three per cent of CIOs said they are confident that their firms will invest in IT projects in the next six months. This compares to 64 per cent in the first half of 2014. Most of those upcoming investments will be in hardware upgrades (18 per cent) and software upgrades (16 per cent), according to the Robert Half Technology survey.

Skills in Demand

Fifty per cent of Canadian technology executives said that network administration tops the list of skills sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Wireless network management and desktop support followed, each with 47 per cent and 44 per cent of the response, respectively.

About Robert Half Technology

With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at rht.com. Follow Robert Half Technology at twitter.com/RobertHalfTech or visit our technology blog at blog.rht.com.

SOURCE Robert Half Technology

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