The D.C. area is slowly but surely earning its position as one of the next big tech hubs in the U.S. After having Crystal City selected for part of Amazon's next headquarters, many are wondering what else is in store for the region's tech industry, and who will make it happen.
According to a report by Robert Half, a staffing agency, 73 percent of D.C. tech businesses plan to expand their teams in 2019. Some of the top skills in immediate demand are for cybersecurity, cloud-related technology and business intelligence.
“The D.C. and Northern Virginia area has turned into one of the prominent tech hubs of the East Coast," Shafin Moledina, metro market manager for Robert Half Technology in D.C., said in a statement. "In addition to large-scale government projects, more high-tech companies are moving to the area and developing cutting-edge technologies, causing the current demand for tech talent.”
Although many businesses are looking for tech workers, 80 percent of the businesses said it has been difficult finding IT talent in the area. Matt Deneroff, branch manager for Robert Half Technology in D.C., said that there are not enough tech workers in the area to meet the growing demand from businesses.
"It is also a challenge for companies that haven’t updated their hiring process in some time. Right now, if you find someone who is a fit, you not only need to move fast but you need to be putting your best offer on the table right away," Deneroff said. "Candidates have options and if you aren’t moving fast and offering appealing packages, they could move on to another opportunity."
As more businesses gear up for hiring tech workers, some companies are choosing to train and upskill their teams by focusing on cloud computing, machine learning, web and mobile development, security and data science.
According to the report, some of the companies' top concerns are maintaining the security of IT systems, investing in new technologies and helping the business grow through innovation.
Deneroff said that Amazon's HQ2 will only make things harder for other tech companies in the area who are looking for talent.
"It remains to be seen what the exact impact is going to be, but we expect that Amazon’s headquarters expansion will draw interest from many IT candidates both locally and from far away," Deneroff said. "A large organization opening up a second HQ in the area is only going to increase the difficulty in finding skilled candidates and will also open the door for more consultants."
Moledina suggested that companies in the area focus on the benefits packages they offer in order to help them secure tech workers.
"Companies in the area are going to need to focus on the basics: competitive salaries and benefits," Moledina said. "They’re also going to need to get creative with perks to make their company more attractive than the competition, like flexible schedules, telecommuting, onsite amenities and others.”
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