Bigger workloads, but pay packets don’t match for ICT professionals: Hudson

Australian ICT employees are taking on more responsibilities and bigger workloads, but they don’t feel they are being adequately rewarded for their efforts, claims recruitment specialist, Hudson.

The findings of its ICT Salary & Employment Insights 2013 reported 75.1 per cent of ICT professionals are taking on more responsibilities than a year ago but 56.1 per cent said they have not been financially rewarded.

The study surveyed 4921 employers and 5853 employees across A/NZ (with 823 employers and 1025 employees specifically targeted for the ICT report).

It highlighted that employees across all industries are taking on greater workloads, with 20.2 per cent replacing roles if a team member leaves, while 80.2 per cent said their teams have to do more with less.

According to Hudson, it has caused IT hiring managers to place greater reliance on contractors – one in ten ICT employers claimed to enlist the support of contractors.

The report also showed that the roles and skills most in demand include: enterprise architects, Cloud computing experts, relationship and supplier management, mobile app developers, change specialists, health informatics professionals and digital specialists.

“In terms of the IT skills the market is demanding, Big Data technology is advancing rapidly and demand for professionals with expertise in this field outstrips supply,” Hudson ICT national practice manager, Martin Retschko, said.

“Companies that cannot source talent externally must invest in staff training and development in this critical area. Cloud technology specialists are also much needed; with commercial, market-specific expertise particularly prized.”

Other findings from the study include:

• 78.9 per cent of respondents said they are experiencing increased pressure on budgets, 69.4 per cent managing greater workloads and 62.5 per cent facing more stringent headcount approval processes due to the current economic conditions.

• 56.7 per cent of employees surveyed said they were looking for a new role, and of those looking to move, 63.9 per cent said they expected to move within the next six months.

• 24.6 per cent of them cited an increase in pay as the most important factor in their next role, while 44.3 per cent said they would remain in their current role if given a salary increase.

• Although 47.2 per cent cited the cost of living as the main reason for deserving an increase, 35.4 per cent said they deserve one because of their own high performance, 32.8 per cent said they deserve it because their skills and experience were in high demand outside of the organisation and 32.7 per cent said they earned it by taking on greater or new responsibilities.

• 91.7 per cent of ICT employers have given employees a pay increase in the last 12 months, and 55.2 per cent said they will be awarding bonuses this year.

“During tough times like these employers may be better served increasing base salaries, scaling back benefits that are not always highly valued and looking at lower-cost ways of boosting staff morale and engagement,” Retschko added.

Register now for the ARN Security Forum 2013 on June 4 at the Sydney Mint

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