A survey of Irish IT professionals has found that almost half (45%) would were more interested in moving jobs to an SME or start-up company, compared to just 15% who said they would choose to work for an established multinational.
The survey was carried out by Brightwater Recruitment in April and May of this year among 436 IT professionals across a range of disciplines, found that this trend had increased significantly from the previous year when just over a third (35%) said they would choose to move to a multinational.
There was also a trend for software engineers expressing a preference to work for more established small to medium sized businesses, with a majority indicating the preference. However, comments made by respondents indicate that the level of choice available to many developers allows them to make slightly riskier decisions when it comes to joining a start-up.
“If the role doesn’t work out or the company isn’t successful they can usually find alternative employment quickly” said Hugh McCarthy, manager, Brightwater IT division.
Exposure to new technologies, new ways of working and new experiences are also key factors alongside salaries in attracting and retaining people
“Other comments suggest that the draw towards start-ups for developers lies in the perceived flexibility of smaller companies, their tendency towards innovation and the perception they have their fingers on the pulse of the local IT market. In contrast, the majority of project managers, creative and infrastructure professionals had a preference for employment in a multinational organisation. This may relate to a perception of security or more international opportunity for advancement” said McCarthy.
While salary and benefit packages (23%) was the top concern the decision making process, being very closely followed (22%) by the prospect of interesting projects and challenging work environment (18%), developers could hardly be labelled mercenary.
“Exposure to new technologies, new ways of working and new experiences are also key factors alongside salaries in attracting and retaining people” said McCarthy.
The number of jobs that are becoming available to candidates, especially in the areas of Software Development (Python, Java and Ruby), IT Security (risk, compliance and network security), as well as Business Intelligence (OBIEE, Microsoft Bl) is increasing year on year, according to the survey. This can be attributed, reasoned Brightwater, to the increase in the number of new companies (indigenous and multinational) based in Ireland, and the increase in funding available for companies already here. When asked respondents said they intended to look at new employment opportunities, with more than 59% saying they were currently looking or plan to do so within 12 months. This has major implications for employers, says the recruiter, advising firms to look at retention strategies and consider succession planning.
The 2014 survey also showed an increasing optimism towards contracting with a majority of respondents either interested or potentially interested in contracting opportunities. Of those respondents currently employed in a permanent role, 58% (compared to 48% last year) were either interested (19%) or potentially interested (38.9%) in looking at contract opportunities over the next 12 months.
“We attribute this increase to rising confidence in the market, with very competitive rates on offer for candidates with key skill sets and many opportunities available, meaning there is more chance of finding further employment at the end of the contract period,” said McCarthy.
The survey found there is still a perception of misalignment between what the universities in Ireland are delivering and what industry is demanding in terms of skills. More than a third (35%) of respondents feel that the universities are providing the skills and knowledge needed, while slightly more (36%) believe they are not.
Broken down by profession, QA/Testers (64%) was the group who felt they were most aligned, followed by Business Analysts (53%) and Infrastructure professionals (48%). With the more technical disciplines, the majority of respondents held a negative view. Within Software Development for example, 40% of respondents felt that universities did not equip graduates with the knowledge required, compared to 31% who did.
“The overall message of this year’s survey is positive” said McCarthy. “Respondents believe that opportunities and salaries are on the rise and as a result they feel confident in looking at new opportunities and moving job. While salaries in IT in Ireland are not yet at the levels being paid in California or London for example, there may be a danger as rates push upwards we may become less competitive and therefore more likely to lose potential jobs to other countries.
“Companies are faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining the people they need in the organisation, while adhering to tight budgets. As a technology community, the challenge is to reward people appropriately for innovation, skill and productivity while at the same time remaining competitive in the international market,” McCarthy concluded.
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