Trends in the tech recruitment market

A lot has changed in tech hiring over the last two years. COVID-19 ramped up the need for tech skills across almost all industries, and top talent found themselves in high demand. CWJobs’ latest report outlines these latest trends and provides insights into how employers can better engage with top talent.

Flexible working is here to stay

Research from TechRadar finds that 4 in 5 employers are planning to recruit staff over the next 12 months, with remote and flexible working being a top priority. We’re set to see more positions for contracted and project work advertised, as well as one-off commissions.

Given that location is one the most important factors that candidates consider when job searching, recruiters would do well to highlight roles that offer remote and hybrid working to increase engagement and tap into a more diverse talent pool.

Work-from-home opportunities can also attract skilled workers from remote locations, as well as carers and people with disabilities, who may not be able to travel for work.

Nick Boulton, Director at Client Server says:

‘‘We have seen an increase in people applying for jobs in London that live nowhere near London, the assumption being that remote working will be applicable for all technology roles.’’

High demand for cyber security and software engineering

CWJobs’ internal insights reveal that the top three sub-disciplines posted on our job platform in 2021 were software development, IT support, and infrastructure. Followed closely by cyber security, project management and analysis.

After having recovered from a drop in demand in 2020, these sub-disciplines remained steady in 2021 and look to continue to do so throughout 2022.

These findings echo recent research from This is Money, which finds that the top paying jobs of 2022 will be cyber security roles (£61,590), software engineers (£48,272), and management accountants (£46,645).

Similarly, Computer Weekly finds that the technology sector in England and Wales posted more job vacancies in 2021 than the entirety of British business in 2020.

When it comes to engaging the next generation of tech talent, Nick says:

‘‘Invest in grass route technologists, offer scholarships to schools, universities and sponsor people to stick with technological training. Kids who are amazing at sport get full scholarships, why shouldn’t technologists?’’

Digital transformation will see increased need for developers

In terms of demand for tech roles, the top postings on CWJobs in 2021 were .NET Developer, Java Developer, and DevOps Engineer. The top applied for roles were Business Analyst, IT Support Engineer, and Project Manager.

Given that an increasing number of UK businesses are embracing digital transformation, we’d expect to see the demand for development roles increase this year too.

In order to meet the demand for development skills, employers should consider investing in training to fill skills gaps internally. In providing mentoring opportunities and catering to different learning preferences, companies can develop effective training programmes that will help meet the demand for specialist digital skills.

To engage with senior developer talent, employers need to advertise a salary that represents the candidate’s experience and skill set. Providing salary information in job adverts demonstrates that a company is willing to invest in top developers and helps talent envision a future with the company.

At CWJobs, 45% of the jobs posted on our platform in 2021 were for high salary roles of £70k+*. Likewise, our conversion rate visits/applications has been consistently high throughout 2021 at an average of 35%**.

Tech talent want trust, career development, and job security

Universum’s UK Professional Talent Research 2021 reveals that last year, a clear path for advancement, secure employment, and respect for people were among the top 10 motivating factors for tech workers. Whereas the year before, these factors were considered a lower priority.

As such, there has been a noticeable shift in the priorities of the UK tech workforce. Salary and work environment are still top considerations when applying for roles, but new technologies and innovation have dropped, to be replaced by elements around trust, career development, security and people.

These motivating factors are particularly important when it comes to employer branding. Ensuring that brand values are up to date and that corporate messaging is consistent can help a company stand out from competitors online.

CWJobs’ latest report, Tech Hiring Insider provides more valuable insights, data, and industry views on how to attract and retain the best tech talent. It contains information on the tech job market, job postings and application trends, as well as client and industry body case studies.

Julian David, CEO at TechUK says:

‘‘The insights from CWJobs show that the UK tech industry and business confidence is bouncing back. If we can match the array of tech roles created every day with those displaced by the pandemic and automation, we will play a significant part in helping people transform their employment prospects.’’

Download the report

Download our Tech Hiring Insider report, here.