IT skills shortage still causing pressure

Despite changes in the economic climate, certain IT skills will always be needed, say key IT employers and industry recruiters.

Paul Bethell, head of ICT solutions Trans Tasman for Telecom, says economic shifts won't affect the number of new IT staff Telecom needs to hire over the 12 months.

"Organisations look to IT as a way to save cost and be more efficient, so we will be looking for our share of that. I'd like to think we can grow IT staff even if there is a recession," says Bethell, who has an IT team of 2500.

EDS New Zealand, employing 2400 IT staff, says it is also hiring based on customer demand with no sign of slowdown. HR director Mark Rees-Thomas says because EDS services a mixture of local and overseas clients, local conditions are not the only factor in staffing requirements.

"Often the complexity, size and scope of our projects means we cannot find local talent with relevant experience - we draw from offshore where similar projects are more common," says Rees-Thomas.

He says EDS has ongoing demand for high-end developers with Java and .Net skills and finds it challenging to source testers, project managers, SAP specialists, systems architects, and Unix specialists. Desktop engineers are the easiest to find, he says.

Bethell says Telecom has needs "across the board", but particularly in IT sales. It struggles to find mid and lower level operational IT people and recently launched a new technical cadet graduate programme focused on developing technical skill in-house. The programme, which will employ up to 10 people this year, runs in conjunction with an existing Telecom graduate programme tailored for potential managers and leaders.

"We looked at 'buy or build' models of recruitment and came back to the need to build our own people and skills," says Bethell.

Paul Heath, a senior consultant for Wellington office of Elan IT recruitment (Manpower), says he finds sudden emphasis on 'build versus buy' a little ironic - New Zealand employers needed to be developing their own IT people some time ago.

"You grow your own IT people; you don't get them off a shelf or pinch them off your competitors," says Heath.

Heath says local IT talent has been heading overseas for some time, forcing New Zealand employers to look for IT staff internationally. But some employers exacerbate the problem by not taking graduate recruitment seriously enough.

"I wouldn't like to be a grad with an IT degree at the moment because you are left to your own devices," says Heath.

Campbell Hepburn, national practice leader for recruitment firm Hudson IT&T, says there's no shortage of inexperienced IT graduates, but a significant shortage of systems testers and test analysts, business analysts, Java specialists, and people with Cisco engineering skills.

"Salaries offered for Cisco roles have jumped by about $20,000 in six months," says Hepburn. Successful IT applicants tend to attract salaries of between $70,000 and $110,000. Roles up to $250,000 for senior IT managers and CIOs are less common as are those under $60,000 - few top IT recruiters work closely with new graduates

Bethell and Rees-Thomas say along with all-important experience, they are primarily looking for two things in an IT employee: emotional intelligence and a good IT qualification.

"A-plus students don't always have the highest EQ. You do need a ticket to ride but we mainly want people who are comfortable in front of a customer; that is where the market is hottest for us," says Bethell.

Rees-Thomas says EDS looks for a combination of technical specialisation, communication skills and a fit with company culture. Hepburn and Heath agree that what employers want is experience and with people skills.

"Four years ago it was all about qualifications, now it continues to be about people skills and attitude," says Hepburn.


Tips for IT students

* Get a part-time job related to what you are studying.
* Know what you want. Seek guidance from professionals, mentors, and respected people in the sector.
* Put a plan in place and pursue it relentlessly. Challenge/hassle recruitment agencies to help you.
* There are increasing numbers of women in public sector IT positions and more at a senior IT level
* Entry level graduate positions start between $35,000 and $40,000. IT is a professional career and salaries climb quickly
* Large IT employers tend to recruit direct: check out their websites or large online job portals. Smaller IT employers tend to use recruitment agencies, and can offer rewarding IT positions with good salaries.