IT workers look to move

Salary survey shows many IT staff want to work overseas or change career

The much-discussed UK IT skills shortage is not going to get any easier according to research from recruitment firm Computer People.

The head-hunters' annual salary report, published today, shows that 70 per cent of UK IT workers are considering working abroad and 39 per cent of permanent staff are considering a change in career away from IT altogether.

Almost all the IT workers surveyed – 92 per cent – admitted they are either actively seeking work or at least keeping an eye on the job market, exacerbating the rapid turnover of staff for CIOs.

Consequently, job security and career progression now feature higher on the wish-list for IT workers than they have for a while. Although interesting work and good pay remain important to IT workers, many have adjusted their salary expectations and the percentage of respondents who rated job security as either extremely or very important has risen from 54 per cent in 2008 to 77 per cent in 2009.

“Employers who are willing to demonstrate a commitment to their employees and a progressive approach to the challenges of today’s working environment have the potential to retain and attract the best candidates,” said Nick Dettmar, managing director of Computer People.