content-[Converted]A promising 13 percent of Washington D.C. area technology executives expect to add to their IT teams during the first half of 2014, according to recently released reports. The survey noted that 85 percent of Washington D.C. area CIOs were hopeful their companies would experience growth during the first half of the new year, and 68 percent believed their firms would be following through on plans to invest in IT projects.

An overwhelming 65 percent of CIOs surveyed said it can be difficult to find skilled IT professionals today, especially those experienced in software development, networking, and database management. According to 60 percent of respondents, the hottest skills currently in demand include network administration, Windows administration, and desktop support.

Strategic Recruiting in 2014
Expect competition for top talent to get even more intense in 2014. Employers who want the best-of-the-best are going to have to get savvy with their recruiting strategies and offer a competitive package candidates simply can’t resist.

Forbes reports that companies will begin to integrate social media into the hiring process and will start using video chats to interview candidates, instead of paying big bucks in travel costs to bring out-of-town candidates into the office.

Companies will also need to encourage present and past employees to share positive experiences of their work experience on sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor, as this inside knowledge may increase the ability to attract above average talent.

Employment Outlook Remains Steady
The job outlook for the first quarter of 2014 is the strongest it’s been since the first quarter of 2008, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. U.S. companies reported a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of increase of 13 percent, which has risen from a 12 percent increase during the same time period last year.

More than 18,000 employers were surveyed, with results for the first quarter of 2014 revealing:

  • 17 percent plan to increase staff.
  • 7 percent plan to decrease staff.
  • 73 percent anticipate no change in hiring plans.
  • 3 percent are undecided on their hiring plans.

Quarter-over-quarter comparison during the past year reveals that employers are remaining confident on hiring decisions. However, hiring needs to increase at a much greater rate for significant employment growth to occur.

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