On March 23, 2015 in ICT by Hudson
In 2015 we are seeing the emergence of a new ICT professional. An individual with strong technical knowledge coupled with softer skills, who can lead, innovate, negotiate and engage with the business to help drive its strategic direction. In addition, they also value work life balance. When it comes to the top five things an ICT professional wants in a new job, 68% chose work life balance as the number one priority.
Why is this important?
Because retention is going to become a significant issue for many organisations in future if these hard-to-find employees aren’t happy.
80% of ICT professionals are open to being approached by a recruiter or employer about a potential job opportunity and 60% have been approached in the last six months, according to Hudson’s latest research The Hiring Report – The State of Hiring in Australia 2015.
With 76% having an up-to-date CV they are ready to go when opportunity knocks. This means employers need to understand what work life balance means to both existing and potential staff and ensure their offering includes the flexibility to lead a balanced life.
Skills in demand
According to recent Hudson research the top four skills in demand in 2015 for ICT professionals are cloud computing, project management and leadership and stakeholder management. It’s interesting to note that whilst skills in cloud and project management remain highly valued, a deeper story is emerging of a desire for ICT professionals to bring to the mix broader business skills, such as leadership and stakeholder management.
As technology continues to evolve and drive organisational transformation, ICT talent who can explain, persuade and interact with the wider business provide real value add.
This rise in demand for ICT staff with broader skills has emerged in part as a result of structural changes in the way organisations function internally. Corporate departments are now expected to partner with the business to drive projects that directly relate to business growth and success. The ICT professional of today needs to act as a business partner to the organisation aligning the ICT function to the business strategy and promoting the role of the ICT function in delivering solutions to the business.
The ICT function within an organisation is often responsible for some of the largest, innovative and transformational projects impacting a wide range of stakeholders. ICT professionals need to be able to engage and influence key stakeholders in the business to turn their strategy into reality translating complex technical information that is understandable by all.
Hot jobs
In 2015 the top four roles in demand are Business Intelligence Expert, Business Analyst, Cloud Architect and Project Manager.
As organisations seek to source, mine and control data, so ICT roles around business intelligence, data and security are on the rise. The cloud is still key, as are roles around project management.
These roles are demonstrative of organisations launching project initiatives that require a range of skills across the software development lifecycle. Employers are hungry for the right talent to support structural transformation projects and underpin future business growth.
In 2015 we expect to see organisations focusing on digital transformation and enhancements specifically around improving the customer experience and evolving and tailoring their online service offerings.
Interested in reading more about the hiring landscape in Australia?
