Survey says: IT hiring on the rise

If you've been on the IT sidelines for a while, then it may be time to dust off your resume and take your lucky interview jacket and tie to the corner dry clean shop. A survey released this week by tech hiring facilitator Dice suggests that employment opportunities may soon come knocking.

The good news is tempered: Dice's findings, collected in mid-May from a pool of more than 700 human resource managers, recruiters and staffing companies, reveal that interest in IT positions is up. More than 70 percent of those surveyed intend to hire additional IT pros before years end.

So, yes, there will be job openings out there. While a lot of employers are planning to fill technology positions, however, most are not planning to fill a great deal of technology positions. Among those planning to hire new staff, just 16 percent anticipate hiring "substantially more" tech workers, while 54 percent dialed down expectations, reporting that they intend to hire "slightly more" tech workers.

Part of that may be due to an increase in workers staying put. Last year, 42 percent of survey respondents reported that voluntary departures had increased. In 2014, however, people are a little more attached to their key cards and ID badges: Just 34 percent of those surveyed said that voluntary departures are up.

There is signifcant good news for experienced workers. Only 20 percent of hiring managers will be looking to fill entry-level positions by year's end — sorry, tech rookies. Most people with open jobs are looking for at least semi-seasoned IT pros to fill them. A robust 59 percent of those surveyed report that they are looking to hire tech workers with two to five years of experience, while 71 percent said they are looking for tech workers with between five and 9 years of experience.

It's apparently not a good time to have a deep background in IT: Just 10 percent of hiring managers are hoping to hire workers with 10 years of experience or more. Experienced workers who already have IT jobs, on the other hand, can expect to enjoy a bit of short-term job security. The survey revealed that 79 percent of hiring managers believe layoffs are not likely to happen in the next 6 months. Dice says that's the highest figure to register in that category since it began doing suveys in 2008.

The survey also provides some helpful data for those who will be looking at resumes, as opposed to brushing them up. Hiring managers should be prepared to weigh escalating salary demands. A telling 61 percent of those surveyed report that candidates are asking for more money than was the case at the end of 2013, while 59 percent feel that positions are going unfilled because of salary guidelines.