IT professionals should sit tight and improve their skills, as the job situation in SA grows worse. This is the message from local recruitment companies as the IT market slows down.
Org Geldenhuys, a director of Pretoria-based Abacus Recruitment, says recent closures and cutbacks are resulting in the IT job pool shrinking. "We are even seeing long-time contractors desperate to find permanent jobs as the cutbacks and new tax structures threaten their income."
Geldenhuys says contractors and self-employed IT professionals are seeing Abacus daily, seeking the security of permanent positions.
Abacus says there are still posts available locally for technical staff, but there are signs that available jobs are becoming harder to find, especially for senior and management candidates. "A lot of smaller companies were liquidated in recent months," says Geldenhuys. "Those people are actively looking for jobs at the moment, effectively reducing the number of choice posts available."
Koulla Koshiaris, research associate for Deloitte & Touche Human Capital Corporation, Recruitment and Resourcing, says that where she usually has to scramble for applicants, she is now receiving a lot of calls from senior people who are feeling insecure in their companies.
She is seeing an increased demand for people with a broad base of up to date and specialised technical skills. "We are also seeing an increased demand for people with experience. This is bad news for youngsters entering the market. I`d advise youngsters to take whatever jobs they can get and build on their experience and skills where they can, at the moment."
Koshiaris says large companies are shedding posts and cutting back, and that smaller, newer companies are being very cautious about hiring staff.
"But there are still jobs out there," she says. "There are jobs for those with serious skills who can add value to a company. Now it`s about getting the best person for the job. People need to work harder, be more productive, make money for their companies, and be more marketable than ever. While this may seem depressing, it should be noted that the best work gets done in a recession. It brings out the best in people," Koshiaris says.
Ivor Rimmer, MD of Bateleur Resourcing, agrees that the market is not as promising as it was in the past. "People are still hiring," he says, "but they are tending to want a better return on investment. The salaries on offer are more realistic, and companies are tending to want people with more experience across the board. We are seeing more companies looking for staff with a combination of technical and `soft` or business skills."
Geldenhuys says an estimated 200 skilled IT professionals leave SA each month, but that jobs overseas are drying up too. "Currently, the UK is really the only country still recruiting IT professionals from SA in a big way. Other markets have slowed down in line with the world IT slowdown." The most-wanted professionals are still technical developers, because of the relative ease with which they can be installed in a new job.
Rimmer says SA appears to be weathering the global IT market downturn fairly well, but he warns IT professionals not to become complacent. "It doesn`t matter how long you have been in a job - if you are not delivering your pound of flesh, you may be the first to be axed when your company cuts back," he warns. "IT professionals need to stay up to date with developments, develop broad-based skills and maintain their value to their employer. This is not a time to sit back and relax."
Geldenhuys agrees that this is not a time to slack off. "Until the market improves, it looks like IT professionals should sit tight and do their best in the jobs that they have, and they should not quit their jobs until they have another lined up."
Share
