Proceedings of 27th International Business Research Conference
12 - 13 June 2014, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, ISBN: 978-1-922069-53-5
Hiring Managers’ Perceptions about IT Talent Shortage: A
Reality Check
Uma G. Gupta* and Christine A. Lai**
There has been considerable discussion in the academic literature and popular
media about the shortage of information technology talent. In particular, this dialogue
often takes place within framework of the importance and critical nature of STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to the economic future and
global standing of the United States. Yet, there is also great concern about the lack
of jobs and under-employment among even talented and experienced IT
professionals. This dichotomy between perceived shortage of IT talent and inability
of talented IT workers to land a job is both puzzling and troubling.
This paper is based on qualitative research to explore the perceptions of IT hiring
managers regarding IT talent shortage. The purpose of the study was to explore if
the current IT talent shortage, as evidenced by hard data gleaned from large online
recruiting companies such as Career Builder, aligned with the perceptions of hiring
managers. Data gleaned from online recruiting sources reveals that while some
positions and some skill sets are in short supply, others were not. Further, even
within positions that appeared to be difficult to fill, only some skill sets within a given
position were in high demand. However, this just-in-time demand data did not always
serve as a guidepost for hiring managers.
More than 25 small, medium, and large companies in the Greater Rochester region
were interviewed to gain a better understanding of their perceptions regarding IT
talent shortage. This research helped to study the influence of these perceptions on
hiring decisions, including quality of candidates sought, salaries and benefits offered,
and recruiting approaches that were implemented. The perceptions of managers
were compared and contrasted with hard data from online recruiting sources to see
the gap between real-world data and perceptions of hiring managers. The findings of
this qualitative research study will be used to educate and guide managers about the
current state of IT talent supply and demand.
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*Dr. Uma G. Gupta, Business Department, SUNY Buffalo State, US, guptaug@buffalostate.edu.
**Dr. Christine A. Lai Business Department, SUNY Buffalo State, US, Laica@buffalostate.edu.