32 pc American IT firms plan to hire more: Survey

According to a report by the job site CareerBuilder, about 32 per cent of IT employers surveyed plan to increase the number of employees in the US, while about 12 per cent are considering reducing the workforce. "The hiring outlook for IT is encouraging for 2010 as companies are hopeful that technology will drive innovation and cut costs," CareerBuilder chief technology officer Eric Presley said here while releasing the report.

Presley further said, "organisations are confident that technology can help their businesses grow in 2010. In addition to innovation and cost savings, technology can spur development of new products and revenue opportunities, both crucial to a successful recovery."

IT employers are taking advantage of the large number of top talent in the current labour pool to strengthen their workforce through various measures like replacing low-performers and providing more flexible working hours.

The survey reveals that about 42 per cent of IT employers surveyed plan to replace lower-performers with higher-performers this year. Further, 50 per cent of the employers plan to provide more flexible working arrangements--come in early and leave early or come in late and leave late.

Meanwhile, some of the IT employers surveyed are still cautious about the number of full-time employees they add this year, as many are planning to turn to freelance or contract employees to help keep their businesses moving forward.

The report notes that nearly half (47 per cent) of the IT employers surveyed are hiring freelance or contract workers in 2010. With rising demand for qualified workers, the employers have leveraged a variety of recruitment tools in 2009 to fill open positions.

In 2009, employers have poured more money into online recruitment sites for hiring prospective candidates than through newspaper classifieds. Hiring through staffing firms and social and professional networking sites are the other tools used by employers to rope in fresh talent.

The survey was conducted within the US by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 169 hiring managers and human resource professionals at IT between November 5 and November 23, 2009.