CIOs Looking To Hire Networking, Wireless Talent In 4Q, Says SurveyCIOs Looking To Hire Networking, Wireless Talent In 4Q, Says Survey

Corporate growth will be the primary driver for CIOs to add tech staff in the fourth quarter, according to a report by IT staffing firm Robert Half Technology.

Of the 1,400 CIOs surveyed, 83% said they don't expect a change in hiring plans in the fourth quarter. However, 14% expect to add staff while 2% are anticipating cutbacks, according to the poll, which questioned CIOs at companies with at l00 or more employees.

Of those CIOs planning to hire, 45% cited business growth fueling a need to add tech staff as the primary reason. An increased need for customer and user support was cited by 18%, and 15% said their hiring plans were related to a deployment of enterprise applications.

The heaviest tech hiring is planned in the mountain and Pacific regions of the country. But when it comes to industries, finance, commercial real estate, and insurance company CIOs predict the strongest tech hiring.

So who are these CIO planning to hire? They're predominately looking for new staff with skills in network administration, Windows administration, database management, and wireless technologies.

"What's exploding now is the demand for wireless people," said John Estes, a Robert Half Technology VP, in an interview. "Companies want Blackberry support, laptop, all kinds of mobile devices."