Talent Shortage May Impede New Hiring by Technology Companies, Second Annual Survey by TECNA and Arizona Technology Council Reveals

PHOENIX, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology companies plan to hire new staff over the next 12 months, but are concerned about a persistent shortage of tech talent, according to the second annual National Survey of Technology, Policy and Strategic Issues released this month by the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and the Arizona Technology Council.

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The full national survey report can be found on the Arizona Technology website at: http://bit.ly/19hSn9q

The Arizona specific results of the national report can also be found on the Council's website at: http://bit.ly/HLqxvV

The survey by TECNA, a non-profit trade association of regional technology organizations which serves as a leading voice in growing the North American technology economy, reveals that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the 1,700-plus C-level executives surveyed say they intend to hire new staff over the next 12 months. Small companies (74 percent) and medium firms (72 percent) are the most optimistic on hiring.

At the same time, 69 percent of executives perceive a shortage in the quantity and quality of tech talent available to them. One-quarter say the shortage is "significant."

"In Arizona, businesses are feeling better about national business conditions than local economics and are still cautious on expenditures," said Steven G. Zylstra, TECNA chairman and president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Technology Council. "Government regulation is the biggest business concern of local executives and the need for government support for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education at the K-12 level leads the national average."

The talent shortage perception is present across all regions of the country. In the Midwest and West, 72 percent of respondents say there's a shortage. The Northeast (67 percent) and South (65 percent) were slightly lower.

"The survey substantiates our efforts to champion policies such as STEM education, tax and regulatory reform and access to capital for innovators and start-ups," added Zylstra. "From Capitol Hill to state capitals, and from legislative committee rooms to city halls, TECNA members continue to serve as the voice calling for a technology-based, pro-growth, business-focused agenda."

The second annual TECNA survey provides current and future technology trends locally, regionally and nationally. The survey was conducted in partnership with CompTIA, the non-profit association for the IT industry.

Other Key National Findings

• Government should act on dollars-and-cents issues and STEM education: Access to capital is the top area where government policy action should focus, according to 46 percent of executives. Two other monetary issues appear in the top five: taxation and/regulatory reform (40 percent) and access to state and local funding for innovation and startups (37 percent). Support for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education at the K-12 and higher education levels is cited as a policy priority by 41 percent of respondents.
• Lukewarm assessment of federal government representation: Asked how well the federal government is representing the interests of the tech sector, 45 percent of executives said poorly or very poorly. Another 41 percent said "just okay." The comparable numbers for state government are 38 percent, just okay; and 25 percent, poor or very poorly.
• Business sentiment is on the upswing:  The survey reveals improving sentiment about overall business conditions, with the biggest jump occurring in feelings about the overall economy. It's at 56.4 on a 100-point scale, compared to 46.3 a year ago; and with expectations of more improvement – albeit modest – over the next six months
• Many businesses plan to increase investments: In addition to hiring plans, 59 percent of executives say they'll invest in new products or business lines over the next six months, with small (65 percent) and medium companies (62 percent) leading the way. About half of all companies expect to boost expenditures on marketing and advertising and on technology.
• Concerns about the economy are the biggest threat: A general lack of confidence or economic paralysis is the biggest threat to business activity, according to 44 percent of executives. Government regulation is next at 42 percent. Concerns about lower margins or downward pressure on pricing took a big jump – from 22 percent in the 2012 survey to 38 percent this year, placing it third on the list of concerns. Medium (51 percent) and large companies (50 percent) are most concerned about margin and price issues.

"Efforts to increase our tech sector representation with the federal government, in particular for small and medium sized businesses, are central to TechVoice, our advocacy partnership between Arizona Technology Council, TECNA and CompTIA," said Zylstra. "Tax and regulatory barriers to tech entrepreneurs, advancing a skilled and career-ready 21^st century workforce, and Internet governance are the major policy topics currently being addressed throughout TechVoice advocacy efforts."

Arizona Findings

• Businesses feel better about national economy than local:  Arizona respondents to the survey revealed improving sentiment about overall economic conditions in North America, with a seven percent increase since last year; but there was only a two percent increase since last year in the number of Arizona respondents felt that the economic conditions of the local technology sector had improved.
• Marketing and advertising leads expected expenditures: Arizona leads the survey's regional averages with 56  percent of all companies expecting to boost expenditures on marketing and advertising but lags when it comes to spending on technology with only 44 percent of the companies expecting to increase that expenditure.
• Government regulations perceived as biggest threat: With 55 percent of Arizona respondents citing government regulation as their biggest business concern, the state leads national survey participants by a full 13 percentage points in that category and ranks it as the biggest threat to growth. 
• Evenly split on state government representation: Asked how well the state government is representing the interests of the tech sector, respondents were fairly evenly split with 30 percent of executives said "poorly or very poorly." Another 39 percent said "just okay" and 31 percent said "well."
• STEM education at the K-12 level needs government attention: Support for STEM education at the K-12 level is where government policy action should focus, according to 46 percent of Arizona executives. Rounding out the top three are taxation and/regulatory reform (43 percent) and access to capital for technology companies (38 percent).
• Mid-Tier Location for Tech Startups: Arizona sees itself as a mid-tier location for tech startups with 54 percent of respondents selecting that self-assessment, as compared to 21 percent seeing the state as a lower-tier location and 18 percent as a top-tier location.

About the Survey
Data for this study was collected via a September 2013 online survey of 1,763 senior (C-level) IT, technology and business executives belonging to one of the regional technology associations affiliated with TECNA. The complete survey is available at tecna.org.

About the Arizona Technology Council
The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit www.aztechcouncil.org.

About TECNA
The Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) represents almost 50 IT and technology trade organizations that, in turn, represent more than 16,000 technology-related companies in North America. TECNA serves its members and the industry through its strong peer-to-peer network and its regional initiatives to raise the visibility and viability of the technology industry.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public advocacy.

About TechVoice
TechVoice is a partnership of CompTIA, TECNA and participating regional technology associations. Collectively, we represent thousands of technology companies across the country employing millions of workers. We are dedicated to empowering and mobilizing the grassroots tech community to impact legislative and regulatory issues important to growth, innovation and job creation.

SOURCE Arizona Technology Council