IT Professionals Believe Cloud Computing, Security and Mobility Will Have Greatest Impact on Organizations in the Future According to TEKsystems Survey

PRESS RELEASE

Hanover, Md. – March 26, 2013 – TEKsystems®, a leading provider of IT staffing solutions, IT talent management expertise and IT services, today released new research on insights from IT professionals on the biggest IT industry trends in 2013 and the skills necessary to facilitate successful business outcomes. This research reflects the views of more than 2,400 IT professionals across all industries.

The IT Skills Shortage • Over two-thirds (69 percent) of IT professionals think that demand for IT professionals will always outpace supply since technology is always evolving. • Over half (56 percent) of IT professionals believe that there is a shortage of IT professionals in the U.S. • Forty-five percent of IT professionals believe that their company struggles with attracting, retaining and developing their IT workforce. • Forty-two percent of IT professionals indicate they worry about their ability to have a long-term IT career. o Fifteen percent say the fast pace of the IT industry is the cause of their worry, while 14 percent feel the younger workforce was to blame due to employers’ preferences based on age and skills. • Almost half of IT professionals (45 percent) believe that trends like outsourcing and cloud technologies create an environment where IT jobs are not sustainable compared to other professions. • IT professionals say that increased training for the development of younger employees was the top way their companies were preparing for the retiring of baby boomers, followed by taking steps to attract new workers and hiring retired employees as consultants or temporary workers.

“The IT landscape is constantly evolving and organizations, as well as IT professionals, need to stay up to speed with those shifts to more effectively manage the new demands businesses will face. Organizations that do not keep pace with the change face the challenge of hiring in a market where there are not enough IT workers to fill all the jobs,” said Jason Hayman, market research manager at TEKsystems. “By the same token, IT professionals have the responsibility of identifying which technologies will become increasingly important at their organizations and ensuring that they are equipped with the skills needed to handle new technology initiatives.”

What IT Professionals Look for in a Career • IT professionals rank good pay as the best thing about their career field, followed by exciting, cutting edge work and sustainability of the field. • Google, Apple, Microsoft, IBM and The Walt Disney Company, respectively, were the top five companies that IT professionals would like to work for. o Cutting edge technology (18 percent) and corporate culture/values (16 percent) are the main factors for these rankings.

“IT professionals are looking for more than a simple paycheck when choosing a job in their field and prospective employers will continue to face stiff competition from other companies trying to recruit from the same pool of top IT talent. Companies can ensure that they are attracting the best candidates for their IT staff by actively demonstrating their employee value proposition and understanding what is most important to IT workers,” continues Hayman.

Skills Needed for Professional Success • Ninety-three percent of IT professionals agree that success in IT in the future will call for strong business skills in addition to IT skills. • Over two-thirds (67 percent) of IT professionals agree or strongly agree that in the future, more IT professionals will be aligned to and working for various areas of the business such as finance, operations and marketing rather than within the IT department. • IT professionals rank verbal/oral communication skills as the business skill most important for success. • IT professionals believe that cloud computing, security and mobility, respectively, will be the top three IT areas that will have the most impact on organizations in 2013.

“Just as the technology landscape is evolving, so too are the skills required for IT professionals to have stable, rewarding careers,” says Hayman. “IT will continue to become a significant part of any modern business and IT workers will not only need to specialize in their technical areas of expertise, but also to be able to understand their business and apply that knowledge to their everyday job functions.”

TEKsystems' Jason Hayman is available for additional commentary. For more information about the survey or to schedule an interview please contact Paul Roberts ([email protected]) to schedule an interview.

About TEKsystems® People are at the heart of every successful business initiative. At TEKsystems, we understand people. Every year we deploy over 80,000 IT professionals at 6,000 client sites across North America, Europe and Asia. Our deep insights into IT human capital management enable us to help our clients achieve their business goals – while optimizing their IT workforce strategies. We provide IT staffing solutions, IT talent management expertise and IT services to help our clients plan, build and run their critical business initiatives. Through our range of quality-focused delivery models, we meet our clients where they are, and take them where they want to go, the way they want to get there. TEKsystems. Our people make IT possible. Visit us online at www.TEKsystems.com.