KEY POINTS:
IT workers will reap the benefits of a buoyant technology market over the next six months, according to a report released today.
Strong employment and higher salaries will be the key rewards, says recruitment specialist Candle ICT's first New Zealand-only market analysis.
The report noted that 38 per cent of IT managers surveyed would increase their permanent workforce, while 32 per cent intended to boost the number of contractors they used.
"Like many industries the strong economy and low unemployment is making it difficult to find talent to meet the growing need to complete critical technology projects," said Candle ICT boss Jane Bianchini.
"As skills shortages deepen, the flow-on effect will be a spike in salaries, particularly in niche and in demand roles, while companies will increasingly source people from the contractor ranks to fill important roles in the short to medium term," she said.
Contract workers in Auckland and Wellington earn an average $75 per hour, while specialist skills like programme management can command up to $135.
Permanent workers in Wellington were slightly better off than their Auckland counterparts, earning $80,000 salaries as opposed to $75,000.
The most sought after staff, the report said, were project managers and administrators, business analysts and application developers.
The most in-demand technical skills were C#, .net, Java, J2EE, and VoIP, it said.
Bianchini said the big challenge facing IT businesses in New Zealand is actually keeping staff once they had them, pointing out that skilled workers are "likely to have multiple offers on the table at any time."
"Once employers have secured the best people, remunerating and rewarding candidates appropriately and offering flexible work arrangement with attractive job options and training will be the key differentiator.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
