Washington, D.C., CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Second Half Of 2014

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report for Washington, D.C., shows that 22 percent of area chief information officers (CIOs) recently surveyed plan to expand their IT teams in the second half of 2014. This is up nine points compared to projections from the previous six-month period (January – June 2014). Another 66 percent plan to hire only for open IT roles, 6 percent plan to put hiring plans on hold, and 5 percent expect to reduce their IT staff in the second half of the year.

*Numbers do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

"Washington, D.C., companies continue to look for IT talent, particularly within the service, financial services and government services sectors," said Chris Brinkman, Washington, D.C., regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. "Web developers, network administrators and mobile applications developers remain in high demand. More than ever, employers seek candidates who can identify business needs and articulate solutions to stakeholders."

The 2014 hiring projections are based on interviews with 100 CIOs 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. In order to ensure that companies from all segments were represented, the sample was stratified by number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper number of employees in the greater metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. 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 the United States since 1995.

Recruiting Challenges

In terms of recruiting, 58 percent of Washington, D.C., CIOs said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals today. It is most challenging to find skilled talent in the functional areas of networking (30 percent), security (19 percent) and applications development (12 percent).

Confidence in Business Growth and IT Investments

The survey results suggest that Washington, D.C., CIOs are optimistic about their companies' growth and IT investments. Ninety-two percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the second half of 2014. This compares to 85 percent in the first half of the year.

Seventy-one percent of CIOs also said they are confident that their firms will invest in IT projects in the second half of 2014. This compares to 68 percent in the first six months of the year.

Skills in Demand

Fifty-nine percent of Washington, D.C., technology executives surveyed said that network administration is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Desktop support and database management followed, with 58 percent and 52 percent 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