Tech hiring has been bullish for years now, with a seemingly inexhaustible demand for positions like data scientist or programmer — and for nearly every tech position and level across the board.
Which explains why nearly three-quarters of firmsOpens a new window report having difficulty filling open roles.
Even if markets are now in jitters over the specterOpens a new window of another recession, there’s no slowdown in sight in the demand for tech workers. In fact, the competition for qualified candidates in the tech sector is going to get even tougher, if the latest statistics are any indication.
New data released by online hiring platform IndeedOpens a new window show growing demand for tech workers across nearly every industry. The kinds of skills cherished by tech firms are increasingly sought by non-tech companies as well.
In short, everyone wants a tech worker.
Tech hiring has grown by 17% between 2012 and 2017, according to the dataOpens a new window published by Indeed. As a portion of all jobs, tech went from representing about 2.8% at the beginning of the same period to 3.3%. While still only a small percentage of jobs overall, it represents a clear growth trend as many traditional hiring sectors have been undermined by the digital shift or have experienced shaky growth.
Not just tech companies
Non-tech companies are expanding the share of new hires who have traditional tech skills. Among the individual tech jobs, most are in software development and systems software, followed by general computer occupations and computer support specialists, according to Indeed.
The industries leading the demand for tech workers are computer systems design, followed by software publishing, internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals.
The trends run in both directions, with tech companies expanding the share of their workforce in non-tech roles. A growing number of people at tech-driven company are likely to work in an area like publicity or sales, according to the report. That might be a surprise, but it’s true even at large tech companies known primarily for their chops as a software-driven business model.
“Outside computer systems design, most employees in high-tech industries are not tech workers,†the report said. “Even in the awkwardly named industry ‘Other information services except libraries and archives, and internet publishing and broadcasting’ — a catch-all that includes parts of such tech giants as Google, Facebook, and Twitter — tech workers represent just 20% of all employees.â€
At the same time, a number of other industries have undergone an increasing process of modernization that Indeed refers to as “techification,†where growth models hinge on hiring new talent with tech skills. Industries like gas extraction and distribution, banking and finance and engines and turbines all have increased their tech hires.
It’s actually…not bad
The expansion of tech hiring could come as good news for the workplace in general as more jobs are predicted to be supplanted by Artificial Intelligence (AI). One reportOpens a new window pointed out that while the capital markets industry is expected to lose some 400,000 positions by 2030, impacting asset managers and investment banks, 35% new jobs sought to be filled by 19 banks and asset management companies are for tech roles.
For workers with the kinds of skills sought in the new industries, the changes bode well for the future. Already in high demand, with the highest expected incomeOpens a new window of any graduates in the years after earning their degree, workers with a background in information sciences can expect to be even more aggressively wooed as more and more diverse companies look to expand their tech capabilities.
But for hiring managers looking to compete in a job market that shows no sign of slowing, it will be necessary to brush up on the company pitch and make sure to be in touch with the kinds of amenities sought by millennial and other tech workers. With changing business practices, companies need to make sure they’re keeping their profile up to date.