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IT Talent Trends 2022

The last two years were a great experiment … but it’s not over yet. Incorporate new ways of working into your business to build and keep the best team.

Business and IT leaders aiming to build and keep successful teams in 2022 must:

  • Optimize IT in the face of a competitive labor market.
  • Build or maintain a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Manage the monumental shift to the new normal of remote work.
  • Weather the Great Resignation and come out on top.
  • Correctly assess development areas for their teams.
  • Justify investing in IT talent.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • If 2021 was about beginning to act on employee needs, 2022 will be about strategically examining each trend to ensure that the organization's promises to take action are more than lip service.
  • Employees have always been able to see through disingenuous attempts to engage them, but in 2022 the stakes are higher due to increased talent mobility.

Impact and Result

This report includes:

  • A concise, executive-ready trend report.
  • Data and insights from IT organizations from around the world.
  • Steps to take for each of the trends depending on your current maturity level.
  • Examples and case studies.
  • Links to in-depth Info-Tech research and tools.

IT Talent Trends 2022 Research & Tools

1. IT Talent Trends Report for 2022 – A report to help you incorporate new ways of working into your business to build and keep the best team.

Discover Info-Tech’s 2022 talent trends for IT leaders, which will provide insight into taking a strategic approach to navigate the post-pandemic IT talent landscape.


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IT Talent Trends 2022

The last two years have been a great experiment … but it’s not over yet.

Incorporate new ways of working into your business to build and keep the best team.

Over the past two years, organizations have ventured into unprecedented ways of working and supporting their employees, as they tried to maintain productivity through the pandemic. This experiment has made lasting changes to both business models and employee expectations, and these effects will continue to be seen long after we return to a “new normal.”

While the pandemic forced us to work differently for the past two years, looking forward, successful organizations will incorporate new ways of working into their business models – beyond simply having a remote work policy.

How we work, source roles, and develop talent continue to evolve as we navigate a different world with employees being more vocal in their desires, and leaders continue to play a key role.

The IT talent market will never be the same, and organizations must reevaluate their employee experience from the bottom up to successfully weather the shift to the new normal.

IT Talent Trends 2022

Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent

Finding talent in a strained talent market requires a marketing approach. Posting a job description isn’t enough.

The (Not So) Great Resignation

IT is faring better than other functions; however, specific industries need to pay attention.

Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions

Good intentions are not enough.

Remote Work Is Here – Can Your Culture Adapt?

The Great Experiment is over. Are leaders equipped to capitalize on its promises?

Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World

Despite the need for remote team management training, it is still not happening.

The pandemic has clarified employees’ needs and amplified their voices

If 2021 was about beginning to act on employee needs, 2022 will be about strategically examining each trend to ensure that the actions taken by the organization are more than lip service.

Employees have always been able to see through disingenuous attempts to engage them, but in 2022 the stakes are higher due to increased talent mobility.

Trends that were just starting to come into focus last year have established themselves as critical determinants of the employee experience in 2022.

2021

DEI: A Top Talent ObjectiveRemote Work Is Here to StayUncertainty Unlocks PerformanceA Shift in Skills PrioritiesA Greater Emphasis on Wellbeing
Arrow pointing down.Joiner pointing down.Joiner pointing down.

2022

Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent

Finding talent in a strained talent market requires a marketing approach. Posting a job description isn’t enough.

The (Not So) Great Resignation

IT is faring better than other functions; however, specific industries need to pay attention.

Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions

Good intentions are not enough.

Remote Work Is Here – Can Your Culture Adapt?

The Great Experiment is over. Are leaders equipped to capitalize on its promises?

Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World

Despite the need for remote team management training, it is still not happening.

What employees are looking for is changing

Superficial elements of traditional office culture were stripped away by the quick shift to a remote environment, giving employees the opportunity to reevaluate what truly matters to them in a job.

The biggest change from 2019 (pre-pandemic) to today is increases in the importance of culture, flexible/remote work, and work-life balance.

Organizations that fail to keep up with this shift in priorities will see the greatest difficulty in hiring and retaining staff.

As an employee, which of the following would be important to you when considering a potential employer?

2019 2021
Flexible Work Pie graph representing response percentages from employees regarding importance of these factors. Flexible Work: 2019, Very 46%, Somewhat 49%, Not at All 5%.
n=275
Arrow pointing right. Pie graph representing response percentages from employees regarding importance of these factors. Flexible Work: 2021, Very 76%, Somewhat 21%, Not at All 2%.
n=206
Work-Life Balance Pie graph representing response percentages from employees regarding importance of these factors. Work-Life Balance: 2019, Very 67%, Somewhat 30%, Not at All 3%.
n=277
Arrow pointing right. Pie graph representing response percentages from employees regarding importance of these factors. Work-Life Balance: 2021, Very 80%, Somewhat 18%, Not at All 1%.
n=206
Culture Pie graph representing response percentages from employees regarding importance of these factors. Culture: 2019, Very 68%, Somewhat 31%, Not at All 1%.
n=277
Arrow pointing right. Pie graph representing response percentages from employees regarding importance of these factors. Culture: 2021, Very 81%, Somewhat 19%, Not at All 0%.
n=206
Source: Info-Tech Talent Trends Survey data collected in 2019 and 2021 Purple Very Important
Blue Somewhat Important
Green Not at All Important

IT’s top talent priorities in 2022

IT’s top Talent priorities reflect a post-pandemic focus on optimizing talent to fulfill strategic objectives: Top challenges for IT departments, by average rank, with 1 being the top priority.

Important

In the 2022 IT Talent Trends Survey, IT departments’ top priorities continue to be learning and innovation in support of organizational objectives. —› Enabling leaning and development within IT
—› Enabling departmental innovation
5.01
5.54
With employees being clearer and more vocal about their needs than ever before, employee experience has risen to the forefront of IT’s concern as a key enabler of strategic objectives. —› Providing a great employee experience for IT 5.66
Supporting departmental change 6.01
With organizations finally on the way to financial stability post pandemic, recruiting is a major focus. —› Recruiting (e.g. quickly filling vacant roles in IT with quality external talent) 6.18
However, IT’s key efforts are threatened by critical omissions: Fostering a positive employee relations climate in the department 6.32
Despite a focus on learning and development, leadership skills are not yet a top focus. —› Developing the organization's IT leaders 6.33
Rapidly moving internal IT employees to staff strategic priorities 6.96
Facilitating data-driven people decisions within IT 7.12
Controlling departmental labor costs and maximizing the value of the labor spend 7.13
Despite the need to provide a great employee experience, the focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion is low. —› Fostering an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the department 7.31
Despite prioritizing recruiting, IT departments see candidate experience as a last priority, either not focusing on it or relegating it to HR. —› Providing a great candidate experience for IT candidates 8.43
(n=227)

IT Talent Trends 2022

Look beneath the surface of the trends to navigate them successfully

Above Ground
Focusing on what you see 'Above the line" won't solve the problem.

Talent isn't a checklist.

Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent

Finding talent in a strained talent market requires a marketing approach. Posting a job description isn't enough.
  • The number of job openings increased to 11.4 million on the last business day of October, up from 10.6 million in September (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dec. 2021)

The (Not So) Great Resignation

IT is faring better than other functions; however, specific industries need to pay attention.
  • In September, in the US, 4.4 million people left their jobs. That number dropped to 4.2 million in October. (US Labor Stats, Dec. 2021)
  • 30% of workers will likely switch jobs if they have to return to the office full time. (McKinsey, Dec. 2021)

Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions

Good intentions are not enough.
  • 95% of organizations are focusing on DEI. (2022 HR Trends Report)
  • 48% of IT departments have delivered training on DEI over the past year.

Remote Work is Here. Can Your Culture Adapt?

The Great Experiment is over. Are you equipped to capitalize on its promises?
  • 85% of organizations saw the same or higher productivity during the pandemic.
  • 91% of organizations are continuing remote work.

Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World

Despite the need for remote team management training, it is still not happening.
  • 72% of IT departments report high effectiveness at managing remote staff.
  • Learning and development is IT's top priority.
Cross-section of the Earth and various plants with their root systems, highlighting the world above ground and below.
Beneath the Surface
For each trend, a strategic approach to get "under the line" will help form your response.

Talent needs a holistic approach, as under the line everything is connected. If you are experiencing challenges in one area, analyzing data (e.g. engagement, exit surveys, effectiveness of DEI program and leader training) can help drive overall experience.

  • 100% of job seekers cite culture as somewhat to very important.
  • Only 40% of employers advertise culture in job postings.
  • 70% of IT departments state voluntary turnover is less than 10%
  • Top reasons for resignation are salary, development, and opportunity for innovative work.
  • Resignation rates were higher in fields that had experienced extreme stress due to the pandemic (HBR, Dec. 2021)
  • Senior leadership is overestimating their own commitment to DEI.
  • Most IT departments are not driving their own DEI initiatives.
  • Without effectively measuring DEI practices, organizations will see 1.6x more turnover. (2022 HR Trends Report)
  • Senior leadership is not open to remote work in 23% of organizations.
  • Without leadership support, employees will not buy into remote work initiatives.
  • A remote work policy will not bring organizational benefits without employee buy-in.
  • 75% of senior managers believe remote team management is highly effective, but only 60% of frontline staff agree.
  • Training focuses on technical skills, to the exclusion of soft skills, including management and leadership.
Solutions
Recommendations depending on your department's maturity level.
Attention is required for candidate experience underpinned by a realistic employee value proposition. Gather and review existing data (e.g. early retirements, demographics) to understand your turnover rate. Use employee engagement tools to gauge employee sentiment among impacted groups and build out an engagement strategy to meet those needs. Conduct a cultural assessment to reveal hidden biases that may stand in the way of remote work efficacy. Provide management training on performance management and development coaching.

Logo for Info-Tech.Logo for ITRG.

This report is based on organizations just like yours

Survey timeline = October 2021
Total respondents = 245 IT professionals

Geospatial map of survey responses shaded in accordance with the percentages listed below.
01 United States 45% 08 Middle East 2%
02 Canada 23% 09 Other (Asia) 2%
03 Africa 8% 10 Germany 1%
04 Great Britain 6% 11 India 1%
05 Latin America, South America or Caribbean 4% 12 Netherlands 1%
06 Other (Europe) 4% 13 New Zealand 1%
07 Australia 2% (N-245)

A bar chart titled 'Please estimate your organization's revenue in US$ (Use operating budget if you are a public-sector organization)' measuring survey responses. '$0 - less than 1M, 7%', '$1M - less than 5M, 4%', '$5M - less than 10M, 4%', '$10M - less than 25M, 6%', '$25M - less than 50M, 5%', '$50M - less than 100M, 13%', '$100M - less than 500M, 24%', '$500M - less than 1B, 9%', '1B - less than 5B, 22%', '$5B+, 8%'. (n=191)

This report is based on organizations just like yours

Industry

Bar chart measuring percentage of survey respondents by industry. The largest percentages are from 'Government', 'Manufacturing', 'Media, information, Telecom & Technology', and 'Financial Services (including banking & insurance)'.

Info-Tech IT Maturity Model

Stacked bar chart measuring percentage of survey respondents by IT maturity level. Innovator is 7.11%, Business Partner is 16.44%, Trusted Operator is 24.89%, Firefighter is 39.11%, and Unstable is 12.44%.
(n=225)

Innovator – Transforms the Business
Reliable Technology Innovation

Business Partner – Expands the Business
Effective Execution Projects, Strategic Use of Analytics and Customer Technology

Trusted Operator – Optimizes Business
Effective Fulfillment of Work Orders, Functional Business Applications, and Reliable Data Quality

Firefighter – Supports the Business
Reliable Infrastructure and IT Service Desk

Unstable – Struggles to Support
Inability to Provide Reliable Business Services

This report is based on people just like you

Which of the following ethnicities (ethnicity refers to a group with a shared or common identity, culture, and/or language) do you identify with? Select all that apply. What gender do you identify most with?
A pie chart measuring percentage of survey respondents by ethnicity. Answers are 'White (e.g. European, North America), 59%', 'Asian (e.g. Japan, India, Philippines, Uzbekistan), 12%', 'Black (e.g. Africa, Caribbean, North America), 12%', 'Latin/Hispanic (e.g. Cuba, Guatemala, Spain, Brazil), 7%', 'Middle Eastern (e.g. Lebanon, Libya, Iran), 4%', 'Indigenous (e.g. First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Maori), 3%', 'Indo-Caribbean (e.g. Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, St. Vincent), 3%'.
(N=245)
A pie chart measuring percentage of survey respondents by gender. Answers are 'Male, 67%', 'Female, 24%', 'Prefer not to answer, 5%', 'No Specification, 4%', 'Intersex, 0%'.
(n=228)

This report is based on people just like you

What is your sub-department of IT? Which title best describes your position?
Bar chart measuring percentage of survey respondents by sub-department. The top three answers are 'Senior Leadership', 'Infrastructure and Operations', and 'Application Development'.
(n=227)
Bar chart measuring percentage of survey respondents by title. The top four answers are 'Director-level, 29%', 'Manager, 22%', 'C-Level Officer, 18%', and 'VP-level, 11%.'
(N=245)

IT Talent Trends 2022

Each trend is introduced with key questions you can ask yourself to see how your department fares in that area.

The report is based on statistics from a survey of 245 of your peers.

It includes recommendations of next steps and a key metric to track your success.

It lists Info-Tech resources that you, as a member, can leverage to begin your journey to improve talent management in your department.

Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent

Finding talent in a strained talent market requires a marketing approach. Posting a job description isn’t enough.

The (Not So) Great Resignation

IT is faring better than other functions; however, specific industries need to pay attention.

Grow Your DEI Practices Into Meaningful Actions

Good intentions are not enough.

Remote Work Is Here – Can Your Culture Adapt?

The Great Experiment is over. Are leaders equipped to capitalize on its promises?

Management Skills Drive Success in a Remote World

Despite the need for remote team management training, it is still not happening.

The report is based on data gathered from Info-Tech Research Group’s 2022 IT Talent Trends Survey. The data was gathered in September and October of 2021.

Strategic Recruiting Finds Good Talent

Trend 1 | The Battle to Find and Keep Talent

As the economy has stabilized, more jobs have become available, creating a job seeker’s market. This is a clear sign of confidence in the economy, however fragile, as new waves of the pandemic continue.

Info-Tech Point of View

Recruiting tactics are an outcome of a well-defined candidate experience and employee value proposition.

Introduction

Cross-section of a plant and its roots, above and below ground. During our interviews, members that focused on sharing their culture with a strong employee value proposition were more likely to be successful in hiring their first-choice candidates.
Questions to ask yourself
  • Do you have a well-articulated employee value proposition?
  • Are you using your job postings to market your company culture?
  • Have you explored multiple channels for posting jobs to increase your talent pool of candidates?

47% of respondents are hiring external talent to fill existing gaps, with 40% using external training programs to upgrade current employees. (Info-Tech IT Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

In October, the available jobs (in the USA) unexpectedly rose to 11 million, higher than the 10.4 million experts predicted. (CNN Business, 2021)

Where has all the talent gone?

IT faces multiple challenges when recruiting for specialized talent

Talent scarcity is focused in areas with specialized skill sets such as security and architecture that are dynamic and evolving faster than other skill sets.

“It depends on what field you work in,” said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson. “There were labor shortages in those fields pre-pandemic and two years forward, there is even more demand for people with those skills” (CNBC, 19 Nov. 2021).

37% of IT departments are outsourcing roles to fill internal skill shortages. (Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Roles Difficult to Fill

Horizontal bar chart measuring percentage of survey responses about which roles are most difficult to fill. In order from most difficult to least they are 'Security (n=177)', 'Enterprise Architecture (n=172)', 'Senior Leadership (n=169)', 'Data & Business Intelligence (n=171)', 'Applications Development (n=177)', 'Infrastructure & Operations (n=181)', 'Business Relationship Management (n=149)', 'Project Management (n=175)', 'Vendor Management (n=133)', 'Service Desk (n=184)'.(Info-Tech Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Case Study: Using culture to drive your talent pool

This case study is happening in real time. Please check back to learn more as Goddard continues to recruit for the position.

Recruiting at NASA

Goddard Space Center is the largest of NASA’s space centers with approximately 11,000 employees. It is currently recruiting for a senior technical role for commercial launches. The position requires consulting and working with external partners and vendors.

NASA is a highly desirable employer due to its strong culture of inclusivity, belonging, teamwork, learning, and growth. Its culture is anchored by a compelling vision, “For the betterment of Humankind,” and amplified by a strong leadership team that actively lives their mission and vision daily.

Firsthand lists NASA as #1 on the 50 most prestigious internships for 2022.

Rural location and no flexible work options add to the complexity of recruiting

The position is in a rural area of Eastern Shore Virginia with a population of approximately 60,000 people, which translates to a small pool of candidates. Any hire from outside the area will be expected to relocate as the senior technician must be onsite to support launches twice a month. Financial relocation support is not offered and the position is a two-year assignment with the option of extension that could eventually become permanent.

Photo of Steve Thornton, Acting Division Chief, Solutions Division, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA.

“Looking for a Talent Unicorn; a qualified, experienced candidate with both leadership skills and deep technical expertise that can grow and learn with emerging technologies.”

Steve Thornton
Acting Division Chief, Solutions Division,
Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

Case Study: Using culture to drive your talent pool

A good brand overcomes challenges

Culture takes the lead in NASA's job postings, which attract a high number of candidates. Postings begin with a link to a short video on working at NASA, its history, and how it lives its vision. The video highlights NASA's diversity of perspectives, career development, and learning opportunities.

NASA's company brand and employer brand are tightly intertwined, providing a consistent view of the organization.

The employer vision is presented in the best place to reach NASA's ideal candidate: usajobs.gov, the official website of the United States Government and the “go-to” for government job listings. NASA also extends its postings to other generic job sites as well as LinkedIn and professional associations.

Photo of Robert Leahy, Chief Information Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA.

Interview with Robert Leahy
Chief Information Officer
Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

“Making sure we have the tools and mechanisms are two hiring challenges we are going to face in the future as how we work evolves and our work environment changes. What will we need to consider with our job announcements and the criteria for selecting employees?”

Liteshia Dennis,
Office Chief, Headquarter IT Office, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

The ability to attract and secure candidates requires a strategy

Despite prioritizing recruiting, IT departments see candidate experience as THE last Priority, either not focusing on it or relegating it to HR

Candidate experience is listed as one of the bottom IT challenges, but without a positive experience, securing the talent you want will be difficult.

Candidate experience starts with articulating your unique culture, benefits, and opportunities for development and innovative work as well as outlining flexible working options within an employer brand. Defining an employee value proposition is key to marketing your roles to potential employees.

81% of respondents' rate culture as very important when considering a potential employer. (Info-Tech IT Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Tactics Used in Job Postings to Position the Organization Favorably as a Potential Employer

Horizontal bar chart measuring percentage of survey responses about tactics used in job postings. The top tactics are 'Culture, 40%', 'Benefits, 40%', 'Opportunity for Innovative Work, 30%', and 'Professional Development, 30%'.(Info-Tech IT Talent Trends 2022 Survey)

Case Study: Increasing talent pool at Info-Tech Research Group

Strong sales leads to growth in operation capacity

Info-Tech Research Group is an IT research & advisory firm helping IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. Our actionable tools and analyst guidance ensure IT organizations achieve measurable results.

The business has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, creating a need to recruit additional talent who were highly skilled in technical applications and approaches.

In response, approval was given to expand headcount within Research for fiscal year 2022 and to establish a plan for continual expansion as revenue continues to grow.

Looking for deep technical expertise with a passion for helping our members

Hiring for our research department requires talent who are typically subject matter experts within their own respective IT domains and interested in and capable of developing research and advising clients through calls and workshops.

This combination of skills, experience, and interest can be challenging to find, especially in an IT labor market that is more competitive than ever.

Photo of Tracy-Lynn Reid, Practice Lead.

Interview with Practice Lead Tracy-Lynn Reid

Focus on Candidate Experience increases successful hire rate

The senior leadership team established a project to focus on recruiting for net-new and open roles. A dedicated resource was assigned and used guidance from our research to enhance our hiring process to reduce time to hire and expand our candidate pool. Senior leaders stayed actively involved to provide feedback.

The hiring process was improved by including panel interviews with interview protocols and a rubric to evaluate all candidates equitably.

The initial screening conversation now includes a discussion on benefits, including remote and flexible work offerings, learning and development budget, support for post-secondary education, and our Buy-a-Book program.

As a result, about 70% of the approved net-new headcount was hired within 12 weeks, with recruitment ongoing.

The last two years were a great experiment … but it’s not over yet. Incorporate new ways of working into your business to build and keep the best team.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

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Authors

Nick Kozlo

Amanda Mathieson

Jane Kouptsova

Contributors

245 survey respondents

Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA:

  • Robert Leahy, Chief Information Officer
  • Liteshia Dennis, Acting Director, HQ IT Operations Office
  • Matthew Dosberg, Digital Transformation & Innovation Lead / Acting Associate Division Chief, Solutions Division
  • Steve Thornton, Acting Division Chief, Solutions Division
  • William Truxon, Associate Chief, Computer & Communication Division
  • Charlene Butler, Associate & Acting Chief, Information & Technical Programs
  • Caroline Ardolini, Chief Computing and Communications Division
  • Michelle Wockenfuss, Deputy CIO
  • Gary Boyd, Vice President and Portfolio Advisor

Tim Dunn, Chief Information Officer, Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works

Kristen Thurber, Donaldson Company

Ian Tyler-Clarke, ISG

Tim Rogers, ISG

Brent Baker, American Foods Group

Don Barber, Lamb Weston

James Wollenweber, Oregon Employment Dept.

Julie Johnson, Mutual Benefit Group

David Reinknecht, Prudential Fixed Income

Dan Cater, Dakota County

Chuck Williams, City of Chesapeake

Christoph Egel, Cooper Tire

Jason Ditzenberger, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Anitha Reddy, Qurate Retail Group

Donna Dineley, Allegheny County

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