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THE RISING DEMAND FOR TECH TALENT

The rising demand for tech talent

In the post pandemic era, tech talent recruitment remains firmly in the spotlight. Amid rising digitisation, remote working and the rapid pace of technological change, demand for tech professionals continues to rise. 

Is demand for tech talent in Europe on the rise? 

Across Europe, industries that were most negatively impacted by the pandemic saw a fall in demand for tech talent. In countries like the Czech Republic, the hospitality and travel sectors saw the biggest drop in the tech job market.

However, there is an increase in demand for technical skills. This trend is evident in industries perceived as more prosperous, such as banking, online retail and pharma.

Similarly, in Ireland, industries like eCommerce and EdTech exhibit the highest demand for tech talent. These industries are notable for performing well throughout the pandemic. Here, the tech industry continues to grow at a rate of 12 percent annually since 2013.

But what does this mean for talented potential candidates, and those looking to recruit and retain top individuals?

 

The key to success is prioritising people

As the pace of digitisation continues to accelerate, countries like Portugal are experiencing a tech skills shortage. As such, companies are struggling to find enough workers with digital skill sets.

The sudden supply shortage is prompting an increase in basic salaries for many tech workers. Additionally, companies are offering a more generous benefits package and work life balance.

 

Focus on hiring top talent for the long term

Finding, hiring, and retaining tech talent is the top priority for many general managers and HR specialists across Europe. Companies like Sanofi and Novartis are implementing innovative recruitment strategies.

Both companies are appealing to potential employees by building a brand that is more attractive than competitor offerings. Additionally, these companies are offering attractive benefits, such as remote working.

 

Expand your search globally

Alongside new hiring strategies, many organisations are eager to expand their search beyond the boundary of the company office. Ongoing demand for technology skills is changing the recruitment process worldwide, for example:
 
  • Spain: hiring managers are investing in emerging economies. The tech industry in Spain offers the chance to tap into new talent pools to fill existing skills gaps.
  • Romania, Uzbekistan and Turkey: these countries have become popular hubs for engineering talent.
  • Estonia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Latvia: these locations are on the radar of tech recruiters thanks to their strong, cost-effective talent pools.
 
Discover more ‘hubs’ in our latest blog.
 

 

Consider a hybrid approach to hire tech talent 

Many companies are now adopting a hybrid hiring strategy. This approach includes upskilling to fill specific skills gaps while also exploring nearshore and offshore opportunities.
 
In the renewable energies space, there is a rise in combining nearshore hiring and reskilling. A current trend in Japan is for engineers with more experience to work with new technologies such as offshore wind parks. Therefore, it makes sense to hire these experts to work on new wind farms in Europe.
 
What’s more, renewable energy firms are upskilling and reskilling people who work in the traditional energy sector. Innovative companies are training employees to adapt to newer technologies.
 
Retraining and upskilling staff is good news for both employers and employees. In the past, students often had to commit to either computer science or engineering early in their education. Now, jobs in these popular sectors overlap.
 
We are also seeing more companies commit to internal learning and upskilling programmes. By doing so, companies can retain tech talent, as seen in The Netherlands.
 

 

The global demand for tech talent is here to stay

The rise in demand for high quality tech talent is a global concern. Despite the growth in machine learning and AI enabling some automation to occur, technical skills are still in high demand.

The tech skills shortage is not a new phenomenon. However, an increasing number of non-tech companies are continuing to develop their tech infrastructure. As a result, the demand for tech talent continues to surge.

The good news is: we are seeing a rising number of next-generation workers pursuing a career in technology. Software development and related courses are increasingly popular with employees of all ages. Employers can also benefit from investing in the reskilling of their existing employee base.

Furthermore, the pandemic has taught us that remote working can be beneficial to both employers and employees. Many individuals can work from almost anywhere in the post-pandemic world. Therefore, remote working enables employers, HR teams and managers to cast a wider net in their search for talent.

Hays can advise on recruitment, training, and outsourcing to meet your tech skill demands. Get in touch to speak with one of our experts to find out how we can help.

AUTHOR

Alexander Heise
CEO Germany and CEMEA, Hays

Alexander Heise began his career with Hays in 2004 as a key account manager and was promoted to Managing Director in 2012. Since January 2020, the business graduate had overall responsibility for strategic clients in the GSCNR region; managing the Enterprise Solutions and Sourcing Centre businesses.

In July 2021, Alex was appointed to the Hays Executive Board as Chief Strategic Client Officer (CSCO). In September 2023, he became CEO of the Germany and CEMEA regions for Hays.

 

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