Hiring the top 5 in-demand tech roles for 2021
These are the tech roles that we believe will be in high demand in 2021. Find out how you can attract candidates with the right skillset in these areas.
As companies begin to recover from the turmoil of 2020, the tech hiring landscape is starting to return to a ‘new normal’. As tech recruitment continues to increase, we expect 2021 to see a rise in demand for specialist tech roles.
It’s important that IT decision makers and recruiters focus their efforts on attracting talent that will help their organisations move forward. Knowing which roles are in high demand and how to attract quality talent, will help companies cut through the competition in 2021.
Software developers & engineers
Between the first and the third lockdown, software development has remained the most popular IT sub-discipline with the most applications received. Our Confidence Index 2020 revealed that 24% of tech companies said that implementing new software was one of the most time-consuming tasks related Covid-19. As working from home continues to be the default for most companies, software development skills will continue to be a valuable asset in enabling digital transformation and driving revenue.
According to StackOverflow’s 2020 Developer Survey, 58% of developers who are not actively looking for a job are still open to hearing about opportunities. This presents recruiters with an opportunity to attract experienced developers into new roles by focusing on the most important job factors.
The survey finds that the majority of developers (51.3%) are attracted to roles where they can work with the languages, frameworks and technologies that they prefer. They also consider the office environment or company culture an important factor (44.5%), as well as having a flexible schedule (43.9%).
IT support
The UK workforce is expected to continue working from home for a while, so companies will continue to need tech support. When we released our Turning to Tech report in 2020, 33% of respondents revealed that IT support was the top skill currently needed in their company. Fast forward to 2021, and this is still the case.
Statistics from CWJobs’ platform reveal that during the first lockdown (March to May 2020), ‘IT support engineer’ was the 6th most popular role for applications received.
So far, in lockdown three (January to February 2021), ‘IT support engineer’ is the 2nd top role with the most applications.
In order attract suitable candidates, companies need to consider what IT support workers want from a role. Flexible working will likely be at the top of the list, as will learning and development opportunities. Our Turning to Tech report revealed that throughout 2020, 50% of workers had taken an online tech course, with 22% stating the pandemic proved a catalyst for them to take action.
Cyber security
During the first lockdown, cyber security was on the agenda of many businesses. During the third lockdown, cyber security is the 10th most frequently posted job and the 10th most popular role for applications received. This increase in demand suggests that cyber security roles will continue to rise throughout 2021.
Our Confidence Index 2020 revealed that 33% of respondents believed that cyber security is a top specialism needed to succeed in the tech industry moving forward. Likewise, CWJobs’ recent research into cyber security found that only half (50%) of UK businesses say they have the skills to combat a cyber threat. Only half (51%) of IT workers say that cyber security is included in their training, and almost one in four (23%) say they are not confident in handling a cyber security attack.
Given the UK’s cyber security skills shortage, demand for qualified professionals is at an all-time high. Companies need to address the shortage by engaging with the next generation of tech workers and making them aware that cyber security is a viable career option. For example, an increasing number of companies are partnering with schools and colleges to raise awareness of the role and to help students realise that cyber security isn’t limited to the tech sector.
Web developers & designers (UI/UX)
With many businesses having moved online to continue their operations, we’d expect to see an increase in demand for web developers and designers for both user interface and user experience roles.
During the first lockdown, ‘DevOps engineer’ was the 4th most popular job posted on our platform. So far, in lockdown three, it’s the 2nd most popular job posted. This tells us that more companies are embracing an agile approach to web and software development as DevOps is well-suited to executing projects quickly.
Solution architects
During the first lockdown, ‘solutions architect’ was the 10th most popular role in terms of jobs posted. However, so far in lockdown three, it’s is the 7th most popular, suggesting its popularity will continue to increase throughout 2021.
As more companies embrace software development, we expect to see a rise in demand for architects to develop the architecture of software systems. Traditionally, solution architect roles have been challenging to recruit for as candidates need to have a wide-ranging IT skillset. At the interview stage, companies should focus on assessing the breadth of a candidate’s IT knowledge as well as their experience. A good solution architect should be able to demonstrate how they have improved the performance of software in the past.
Cloud specialists
According to Gartner, global public cloud services will grow to $331.2 billion by 2022. Perhaps unsurprisingly, our Turning to Tech report reveals that 18% of companies need cloud specialists.
With cloud capacity having increased four-fold from 2016, cloud companies themselves clearly anticipated a need for more capacity pre-Covid. Today’s cloud specialists need to have UI and UX design skills as well as being able to handle data migration. MS SQL knowledge and experience working with ETL processes and tools are also essential to meet the needs of businesses in the current landscape.
Given that the future of cloud computing will rely on a combination of technical skills like programming and softer skills like clear communication, employers should aim to attract candidates that demonstrate both skillsets. Companies would also do well to invest in upskilling their workers to meet demand. Ongoing training programmes should also be implemented to ensure that newly-skilled workers keep their knowledge up to date.