The tech industry is always one of the most competitive job markets, and it’s not always possible to find the right talent to fill a high-priority job. Therefore, it is important to know what applicants and employees face during job hunting.
Fortunately, there is data in the world that can help answer this question. To help you better understand the demand for and competitiveness of tech jobs, below is search traffic for 12 key jobs (using Indeed), which compares the number of tech talent and employers. Let’s look at the numbers.
What technical specialties are the most “requested”?
First, we looked at which jobs are most in-demand. The table below shows that there are significant differences between queries. The measurements are displayed as the number of targeted searches for each occupation per million searches.
At the top is the Engineering Manager – or, simply, the technical director. This is indeed a position that requires both technical skills and the ability to lead and be responsible for a team. Clearly, managerial ability is a priority for many employers in terms of finding the best technical talent.
The next most in-demand profession is the Front-end Developer, that is, the person responsible for all aspects of websites and applications that end-users interact with. Number #3 (DevOps) and #4 (Full-stack Developers) have not only the highest demand but also the fastest growth. For these jobs, ads increased by 24.2% and 44.7% from the second quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2018, respectively.
Meanwhile, the lowest demand is for the position of Chief Technology Officer. Of course, such top-level positions are relatively rare – and the number of candidates with the necessary experience and leadership skills is very limited.
Where is the talent shortage?
The data above shows the scale of demand for important technical roles in companies, but it does not tell us how difficult it is to fill these positions. Let’s look at the relationship between job postings and clicks on those jobs. The fewer clicks, the less interest applicants have – and the harder it is to find talent.
According to the data, software architects are the so-called “unicorns” of the market. These jobs are very difficult to fill. Probably because they require a rare combination of advanced technical skills and a high level of creative thinking. After all, “architects” set the standards to be followed by future developers and may well anticipate the future success or failure of a project.
Second place goes to DevOps. DevOps are in demand because they are so rare. In third place are the developers of mobile applications. And although the demand for such specialists in the global job market is not so great yet, it is difficult to find professionals.
The top ten also included specialists in the fields of Full Stack, Front-end, designers, and online marketers. This means that there is still a shortage of real talent in these areas on the global job market, and in the coming years, interest in such specialists will continue.
What does this mean for employers and job seekers?
Job seekers definitely need to use this data to stay ahead of the competition and know what skills employers still lack. For tech job seekers, information about supply and demand provides insight into which professionals are more empowered and have greater leverage in negotiations with a potential employer.
For employers, meanwhile, the data points to the importance of finding the right balance of incentives to attract the best talent. Today, good compensation for work no longer plays a big role. Skilled employees are losing interest in the traditional 9-5 model and are looking for more flexibility when it comes to working schedules and locations. Knowing the trends and thinking through the system of benefits and onboarding, employers can compete more aggressively for the best talent.
