Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

How Companies Are Preparing For the IT Workforce Exodus

Posted by samzenpus on from the heading-off-into-the-sunset dept.

itwbennett writes "If you think there's a glut of contract IT workers now, just wait. 10,000 U.S. baby boomers will turn 65 every day from now until 2030, and at least some of them will want to ease into retirement. This may sound like music to the ears of IT organizations who already would rather hire temporary staff with specialized expertise — especially for working on legacy technologies. 'The contractor ratio, already high in tech, will continue to increase as companies allow retiring staff to work part-time hours or hire them for short-term projects,' says Matthew Ripaldi, senior vice president at IT staffing firm Modis."

3 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Glut of IT workers? by pthisis · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you think there's a glut of contract IT workers now ...then you lack a basic understanding of labor markets.

    Computer Programmers: 3.7%
    DB Admins: 1.3%
    Network and sysadmins: 3.9%
    Network and data analysts: 3.9%
    Software devs, application, and systems software: 4.0%

    Those are the current unemployment rates for workers in those occupations. It's pretty much the same for all IT occupations; there are few enough workers that companies are having a tough time filling jobs, and even moderately skilled employees aren't having trouble finding jobs.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323936804578229873392511426.html

    --
    rage, rage against the dying of the light
    1. Re:Glut of IT workers? by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 5, Informative

      Second that ; whenever we try hiring, the standard of the applicants is utter, utter, dross.

      They typically exhibit faults like

      * Lacing basic reading comprehension

      For example, they tender applications for development jobs... when they were applying for testing.

      * Apply for every job

      When I apply for a job, I read the application and compose a precise strike covering letter, tailor my CV, the full treatment, because there are so few jobs out there that would interest me. These guys cut and paste applications into a huge list of jobs and it shows. Why would I want to hire someone who isn't interested in my position?

      * Lack basic English skills

      Spelling and grammar mistakes are a no-no. Successful software development is about communication - communicating with the user to get the requirements right, communicating with the computer to implement them. I don't wish to hire someone who displays difficulty communicating with concision in any of their chosen languages. Writing incomprehensible goobledegook in your job application will get it canned. Without wishing to be biased, this applies equally to the many Indian applicants (they outnumber the natives, typically) we receive responses from.

      * Being unable to program

      You'd think this would deter most folks from applying from programming jobs, but apparently many people have no shame. While I don't expect people to reinvent wheels like ArrayList, I do expect you to know how they are constructed.

      * Lacking any kind of initiative

      If you're asked a tough logic problem in an interview, even if you're stumped, you don't give up. If you attack it in a way that reveals some kind of thought process going on, I will give you credit for it.

  2. Re:OP or tune it ee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you're in tech now the geezers are finally going to let you move up by retiring.

    If you thinks it's the geezers that are holding you back, you should probably look for a job in another field. If anything, geezers are the ones being fired because they make too much.