IT job seekers put stock in prospects

Contractors are among the IT workers criticising employers for not giving career development the attention it deserves.



For being in an uncertain jobs market, both permanent and contract IT staff said they were scrutinising the prospects of each role they were offered much more closely.



Like the availability of training and flexible benefits, career development was a factor high up the wish-list of candidates which was given too little focus in IT job adverts.



When asked by Hays IT, which commissioned the findings, whether there was sufficient scope to develop their careers, the majority of IT workers said there wasn't.



This represents "a marked difference of opinion," the firm said, as, when asked the same question, employers responded with confidence that their IT staff could advance.



And all but a handful of employers also insisted that flexible benefits and training courses failed to exert much of an impact on their recruitment or retention strategies.



Yet more than 75% of candidates said they considered a flexible working culture to be growing among their considerations, which were led by pay and interest in the job.



Richard Horrocks, director of IT Contracting at Hays IT, said: "Candidates are naturally more cautious and less inclined to change jobs, so will be scrutinising remuneration and benefits, job security and enhanced career prospects more closely."