It's a hair-raising time for some companies that need to hire IT professionals, says Mark Harwood, practice director for the Cleveland office of Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), the technology staffing specialist.
Many tech roles went fully remote during the pandemic, accelerating a work-from-anywhere trend that now is becoming a job requirement for some workers.
So failing to offer remote work opportunities for technology professionals is likely to make it hard for any company to attract and retain gifted talent, he said.
Harwood talked to the Cleveland Business Journal about shifting IT job dynamics. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
What are some of the tech needs around the Cleveland area?
Companies that are working remotely need IT infrastructure, so they need workers with skills to build out and upgrade existing networks. They also need cloud computing and cloud infrastructure managers to enable remote work. In addition, e-commerce has exploded, so companies need software engineers to develop web applications. Companies also need IT support staff to help people trying to install new software.
What Cleveland industries are hiring IT workers right now?
Healthcare has seen a big bump. I know more than a handful of healthcare companies that have increased their hiring. I'd say logistics companies have seen a big surge in hiring. With everybody shopping online, companies have to ship everything. Their systems need to support that. Insurance companies also are hiring IT help.
Are there any jobs that are going unfilled?
I would say software engineer is probably the toughest job for companies to fill. It's a smaller talent pool, and the engineers are very aware of their value. They definitely operate that way when they're looking for a new position.
Does that mean we're seeing more job-hopping among software engineers?
Yes, but I don't consider that necessarily a negative thing. Lots of engineers are passionate about mastering their craft. After software engineers have been working at a place for three-to-five years, unless that place is consistently building out new things with new technology, then the software engineers start to worry that their skillsets are stagnating.
Traditionally, job-hopping has been frowned upon. But now, we see individuals who have had three different roles over nine years. That's a wide breadth of experience. These workers could potentially be far more flexible or able to ramp up more quickly than someone who's been at one job in the same ecosystem for those nine years.
Do remote IT workers favor the Cleveland area or its low cost of living?
Yes, that definitely happens and is getting more popular. I have friends who have worked remotely for more than five years. They live in a beautiful place somewhere in Northeast Ohio with quick access to the parks and other amenities. And because their employers are in larger cities with higher costs of living, my friends get paid higher wages.
Is there anything else that companies hiring IT help should think about?
If their IT roles are not 100% remote, the companies should honestly look at why not or whether the roles can be made remote. Their companies are competing for workers nationwide with companies that are offering 100%-remote roles. In addition, they should consider making their jobs 100% remote so they have much wider access to a candidate pool.
