As market data shows, IT organizations in the consumer goods and services sector are emphasizing team development. From July to the end of September, 42% of companies in this sector plan to hire new employees, while 20% foresee a reduction in the number of positions. In the third quarter of this year, 35% of employers do not anticipate changes in their teams. These figures are from the “ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey,” which reveals companies’ recruitment plans for the coming months.
The analysis presented by ManpowerGroup indicates that in the third quarter of 2024, recruitment plans for IT employers are optimistic, with a net employment outlook of +22%. This is one of the highest results among the eight analyzed industries. The indicator increased by 16 percentage points compared to the second quarter of 2024, but it is 4 percentage points lower year-over-year.
“The IT industry indeed paints a decidedly more optimistic picture for the third quarter of this year. We observe more recruitment projects than a few months ago. However, analyzing the data for the whole year and based on conversations with organizations, we see that the situation remains dynamic and changeable. It’s certainly worth staying vigilant and observing the market,” says Anna Nowakowska, team leader of permanent recruitment at Experis. She adds that companies find it easier to locate IT specialists today than two years ago, and job advertisements in the industry are finally yielding results. “However, it is difficult to find candidates with specific technical skills, especially among experienced and independent experts. Despite employees being more open to changes and seeking new opportunities, we still face a talent shortage, with a passive IT candidate market,” adds the expert.
What IT Employees Are Companies Looking for Now?
According to the labor market expert in new technologies, organizations now need highly qualified employees. “We observe reduced demand for young IT specialists and high technical requirements for candidates. Companies are looking for individuals with solid experience, preferably a minimum of 6-8 years, who are independent, possess problem-solving skills, teamwork, and communication. Employers value experience gained in various projects, using different technologies. It’s noteworthy that organizations are also putting much effort into developing soft skills within their teams. A key aspect that more organizations are paying attention to is diversity and gender equality, not only in general but also within IT departments, which are often perceived as male-dominated. Our recent internal analyses show that since the beginning of this year, 38% of the candidates we have recruited for permanent positions are women, experienced IT experts,” emphasizes Anna Nowakowska.
According to Job Market Insights data, from January to the end of May this year, the most sought-after positions were DevOps Engineers, Java Developers, and Data Engineers. According to Experis experts, these positions will continue to be in demand. “DevOps Engineer and Data Engineer remain highly sought-after specialists, though finding the right talents for these positions is still challenging. Analyzing and processing large amounts of data is crucial in every industry today, supporting companies in making strategic decisions. Java Developers increasingly need to have front-end development skills as well. We observe growing interest in Fullstack candidates, but the demand for Java Developers remains high. Organizations also have a growing appetite for experts in Gen AI, ML, and NLP. Although less popular, there is also increasing interest in Golang Developers,” says Anna Nowakowska.
IT Sector in the EMEA Region
The ManpowerGroup report also presents data on recruitment plans for organizations in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. The data shows that new technology employers have declared a net employment outlook of +25% for the third quarter of this year. From July to the end of September, 46% of organizations plan increased recruitment activities, 21% anticipate the need for job cuts, and only 1% of organizations do not know their recruitment plans for the coming months. 32% of IT employers in the EMEA region intend to keep employment levels unchanged.
