By Katie Merritt, Senior Research and Data Manager, Robert HalfTechnology leaders across the U.S. face significant tech and IT skill gaps in their departments likely to undermine productivity. In a Robert Half survey, 55% of tech leaders at companies of all sizes said they expect staffing constraints to put their priority projects at risk this year.Looking at what many tech leaders are working to accomplish, the types of projects that might be sidelined could put a dent in companies’ efforts to transform digitally and increase overall business resilience. According to research for Robert Half’s e-book, Building Future-Forward Tech Teams, the top priorities for tech leaders this year are:Security of IT systems and informationAI, machine learning (ML) and automation initiativesCloud projectsTechnology modernizationSoftware engineering and developmentTo deepen our understanding of how companies’ need for talent to support initiatives in these five areas could be impacting the demand for specific types of technology expertise in the labor market at large, Robert Half analyzed over 2 million job postings provided by Textkernel and TalentNeuron for two time periods: 2017-2018 and 2022-2023. We then quantified the number of times certain tech and IT skills appeared in these job postings and calculated the percent change relative to the overall change in volume of technology jobs. We found that skills widely considered to be “emerging” aren’t so new — at least when it comes to employers’ need for technology professionals with these skills. The top emerging skills, which we define as those seeing the most growth, include:Natural language processing (NLP): +430%Mobile application development: +381%Page speed optimization: +318%Distributed and parallel computing: +253%Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML): +192%Cybersecurity: +163%
Robert Half’s analysis of emerging skills highlights how tech priorities like the security of IT systems and information, AI, ML and automation initiatives, and technology modernization are not just driving demand for skilled tech talent now, but have been for several years. The growing need for cybersecurity skills may not be surprising, given that every modern business is grappling with cyber threats and protecting their data and systems. What we find notable, though, is that the demand for specialized skills to support projects related to AI and ML was increasing long before the recent AI boom.However, Robert Half’s workplace research indicates recruiting in-demand technology pros is a big challenge for employers. Most technology leaders (90%) surveyed for our latest Demand for Skilled Talent report said it is difficult to find skilled candidates.
Read the latest Salary Guide From Robert Half to learn about the hottest technology jobs, skills and industries, and what types of tech and IT skills many managers are prepared to increase compensation for to hire top candidates.
