“All-time high” demand for software experts pushes IT salaries higher

Employers in sectors ranging from education to finance are fighting to recruit the best technology experts, even as they cut back other parts of their operations, says a new report from London based tech recruitment specialist hackajob.

The competition for talent is said to be so strong that salaries in technology are continuing to climb, with starting pay for software engineers 64 per cent above the national average.

The battle for the best people also meant 46 per cent of candidates turned down offers because they had already accepted other roles, according to hackajob, which hosts more than 250k candidates on its platform.

The report is hackajob’s first annual Marketplace Monitor, an in-depth analysis of thousands of jobs based in the UK, including global remote hires, to understand technical talent, and the accompanying hiring trends, over the past 12 months.

As one of the most “recognised and thriving” technology hubs in the world, the UK has seen a strong increase in the number of tech roles being created across sectors. For example, the number of people working in computer programming has doubled from 209,000 to 418,000 in the last decade and demand for developers is at an “all-time high”.

Mark Chaffey, CEO and co-founder of hackajob, commented: “As the demand for technical talent continues to rise, not enough is being done to create the talent of tomorrow.

“Every company is now a technology company, whether that’s a retailer looking to sharpen its online offering, a bank boosting security in its back office or a football team pursuing better performance data. If the UK is going to compete it needs to help people get the training they need to join the continuing tech revolution.”

The report also found that, whilst wages are rising at a pace across the sector, women are still asking for less money than men (£57k is the top desired salary for women compared to £65k for men). The disparity demonstrates a persistent gender pay and status divide even as many employers make efforts to recruit more women to their teams.

Chaffey said: “We know that the world of tech shapeshifts at an exponential rate but some things are clear: there is still work to be done to support the expansion of talent in order to create a truly diverse and inclusive workforce.

“The next 12 months will be vital in addressing the gender pay gap with dedicated strategies needed to achieve this. Encouraging more companies to hire regional talent, as opposed to hyperfocusing hiring in London, and offering clear progression plans is needed to continue to attract more diverse tech talent.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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