Employers still grapple over IT pay, skills

Despite recent changes in the global economy, the cost of hiring quality IT staff remains a challenge for employers, say human resource experts.

According to Sommer Owens, manager of IT contract division at Robert Walters Hong Kong, IT salaries in the Chinese territory have been holding steady, but some employees are prepared to lower their pay expectations.

"Candidates who have been caught up in corporate restructuring are willing to accept a lower salary than they were previously getting to stay competitive in...[the] market," Owens said in an e-mail interview.

However, E. Balaji, CEO of India-based recruitment agency Ma Foi Management Consultants, noted that while it is true the bargaining power has swung in favor of employers, the expanding workers pool and lowering salaries relate more to generic IT skills.

A year ago, Balaji explained in an e-mail, most prospective candidates had more than one job offer and candidates were aggressively negotiating salaries and benefits, thereby pushing up the cost of quality talent. "With the current slowdown, this has subsided," he said, adding that the economic downturn has provided cash-rich companies with the opportunity to recruit quality talent at optimal cost.

"[However], for specific levels of expertise and niche skills, potential candidates in a company are generally 'ring-fenced'. Hopes of attracting them at less attractive terms may not materialize," he noted.

Yeo Gek Cheng, director of IT and telecommunications at Hudson Singapore, said the perception that employers now have a wider pool of candidates from which to choose "cannot be further from the truth", particularly for mid- to senior hires who are strong in their field.

"Those who are gainfully employed are unwilling to move due to the perceived risk of changing jobs now," Yeo told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail, adding that employees' annual salary increments have also remained unchanged.

While businesses still face a challenge recruiting candidates, this is less of an issue now as there are fewer job offers available to IT professionals, she said. Yeo noted that the lack of candidates in Asia cannot be resolved simply by an economic downturn. "What is a tight labor pool remains tight," she added.

Agreeing, Owens said some IT skills are still in short supply.

by Sol E. Solomon, ZDNet Asia

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