Superhero 2017 Tech Recruiting Predictions

12 predictions for 2017 Good times ahead!

Whilst it may not yet be time to wave goodbye to 2016, the tech industry moves forward at an astonishing rate so a look ahead seems a shrewd move.

But who really knows what 2017 may bring?

Well, we don’t claim to have future telling super powers but we do have access to a whole range of companies and tech pros. So, we thought we would ask them their thoughts and intentions for next year. No wishy washy crystal balls and tarot cards, but real data from the 173 employers and 742 tech pros we reached out to. With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, we think this may bring a tad of reassurance‌

Apeksha Cloud Architect

12 predictions for 2017 Good times ahead!

1. The sector is set to grow Good news ahead! 2017 looks to be a good one for the tech industry. 78% of companies are looking to make tech hires next year, with a whopping 34% looking to employ 20 or more and 40% set to employ between 6 and 20.

Only 6% of firms not looking to employ sighted a lack of recruitment budget as a reason not to expand, suggesting the industry is in a healthy state.

2. The tech sector will see a lot of employer movement The good news is employer’s intentions to grow are aligned with what tech pros want; with 62% stating they will be looking for a new job in 2017. So, with firms looking to employ and employees seeking jobs we predict there will be a lot of movement in 2017. The most prominent reasons stated for seeking a new job ranged from more career possibilities (24%), better salary (21%) and more interesting/satisfying work (20%).

3. Tech pros will have an enhanced skill set The continued advancement of the digital world is down to individuals, and their willingness for self-improvement. 84% of tech pros intend to upskill in 2017 with 48% of these self-funding their development. If you aren’t considering upskilling in 2017 it may be worth reconsidering; you don’t want to get left behind.

4. Companies will need to do more to help employees grow and evolve With 48% of employees intending to upskill stating they will self-fund it, it may not surprise you that over half of tech pros felt their employer did not have the right tech resource to help them grow and evolve; with 56% believing this. Employers; take note!

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12 predictions for 2017 Good times ahead!

5. The rise of the contractor Whilst on the whole employees felt there will be more permanent staff than contractors in the tech industry, it may surprise you that 32% felt the opposite and that in fact there will be more contractors or at least a 50/50 split. More flexibility and higher wages may be reasons for this trend.

6. Back-end Developers will be in demand Good news for back end developers, 42% of employers will be on the lookout for them next year. Good news too for Front-end Developers and Project Managers with over 35% of organisations looking to employ them.

SAP professionals out there may consider upskilling with only 8% of employers on the lookout in 2017.

7. There will be an upsurge in cloud computing Clouding computing is now embedded into modern life, but if you’re an expert in this space then you’re in luck; 56% of tech pros and 40% of organisations asked believed these skills will be highly in demand in 2017.

Big data, network and security skills are also set to be in demand, with over 35% of tech pros predicting these skills will be in demand next year.

8. Big data will be an emerging trend 52% of organisations foresee Big Data as an emerging trend in 2017, closely followed by automation (43%), advanced machine learning (40%) and Internet of Things (33%). The Internet of Things was everyone’s big prediction coming into 2016 but it appears less so now.

Employees are in agreement with 42% seeing Big Data as a growing trend, but seems a more even spread of trends to emerge in 2017.

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12 predictions for 2017 Good times ahead!

9. No one knows what impact Brexit will have Time for a nice safe prediction; no sticking our necks out. 43% of tech pros and 60% of employers all believe it is too early to call what the impact of Brexit will have on the tech industry; so I guess we will just have to wait and see. However, there are clues as to what may happen. The next best prediction from both employers and employees - there will be more demand for local tech professionals, so if you are planning to relocate abroad you may be missing an opportunity.

10. It’s all about London London seems the place to be in 2017 with 73% of firms and 65% of tech pros predicting London will still be the leader in the tech start up space - but is this lower than you may have thought? It appears the North West is set to be London’s biggest rival with 15% of employers feeling it will see the biggest increase in demand for tech professionals next year.

11. Big year for social aggregators as a recruitment tool We’ve all heard about the growth of social media, and it seems the recruitment industry is leveraging its power by using it as a recruitment tool. When asked to rank recruitment techniques in order it came out on top. Organisations also predicted that job boards, both general and specialist, have a big role to play in recruitment strategies next year.

12. There will be more of a focus on your employer brand A vast 81% of employers believed there would be a bigger focus on employer branding in 2017 than in 2016. With the tech industry growing, and the skills sets improving, it is becoming more competitive for employers to get the staff they want. Business’s will need to consider how they look to potential employees from the outside, and take action if it doesn’t look appealing.

So there you have it, twelve predictions based on real data.

Let’s report back next year to see how close we were!

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