More than 90% of IT workers are in search of a new job: survey

Ninety-two per cent of IT workers in Australia are either actively looking for or keeping an eye on job opportunities, a survey from IT recruitment company Greythorn has found.

The survey of almost 3,000 IT professionals and hiring managers found 43 per cent of employees are actively looking in the job market, while 49 per cent are keeping their eye on jobs.

The survey found career development, more challenging and fulfilling work are the main reasons why workers are looking to change jobs. A good remuneration package, flexible working arrangements, and being challenged in the role are the main reasons why workers stay in the job.

Only 38 per cent said they have career development opportunities in their roles and organisations.

Read CIO Insights: What not to do when hiring talent.

Job insecurity in the government sector was prominent with 42 per cent feeling insecure. Overall, 34 per cent of workers feel insecure about their job, up from 11 per cent since 2011.

“This would appear to have a direct correlation to the proposed Federal Government agency reshuffle,” the survey report read.

The survey found about half of workers are considering moving overseas for job opportunities, up 36 per cent from last year.

“The UK is still seen as the number one destination, followed closely behind by North America.”

When it comes to skills that are in demand in the market, cloud topped the list with 50 per cent of hiring managers considering it the top skill within the next one to two years, followed by business intelligence at 45 per cent, project management at 36 per cent, security at 31 per cent, and big data and soft skills at 30 per cent.

“It is likely candidates with these skill sets will trade off salary for career development opportunities and be re-skilled in new areas. This is a good opportunity for employers to access a motivated workforce by re-skilling existing IT employees,” the report read.

Training was lacking for many IT workers as 26 per cent said they never had any training while working in their roles, while 35 per cent did not had any training for the past two years.

“This is disappointing and given that we know job seekers leave roles for career development, illustrates a missed opportunity for employers seeking to develop and retain their own staff,” the report read.

Almost 60 per cent of workers feel they need to improve their non-IT skills, such as business acumen and communication skills, related to their roles.