IT staff stay in dead end jobs to preserve salaries

More than 30 per cent of Australian IT professionals are staying in dead end roles out of fear they will have to settle for lower pay if they take a new job, according to report by recruiter Ambition.

The Ambition Candidate Market Trends and Salaries Report surveyed more than 280 IT professionals and found that 35 per cent feel there is no opportunity to progress in their current role but stay to maintain their salary (31 per cent).

Furthermore, 36 per cent of Australian IT workers believe their remuneration is lower than market value and 23 per cent are not even sure what their value should be.

Six out of 10 IT workers also feel pressured to work more hours than they are paid for and more than 50 per cent admitted to responding to email and requested outside of work hours on their mobile devices.

“An uncertain jobs market is keeping talented IT workers from exploring their employment options,” said Andrew Cross, managing director at Ambition, Technology said in a statement.

“Australian IT workers seem unsure of their current worth and are therefore unable to challenge employers on their salary and professional development.”

Of those surveyed, 62 per cent felt that morale in their business was neutral to low, which according to Cross, directly impacts productivity and ability to attract workers in the future.

Almost half (49 per cent) of those surveyed also felt the company did not invest enough in training and development, particularly where core skills to their role was concerned.